Personal injury lawyer help in Luna County, New Mexico

Luna County, New Mexico includes 2 named communities, the largest being Deming, Columbus. Whether an accident happened on a county road, in a small town or in one of the larger communities, the same New Mexico rules apply: a 3-year filing deadline for most injury claims, pure comparative negligence, and lawsuits filed in the Luna County District Court. This page is the county-wide guide, with links to a page for each community.

Ask Legal Matters is a free claim-review request service, not a law firm. Requests from Luna County may be shared with independent attorneys and legal services partners who handle car, truck, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents, slip and fall injuries, workplace injuries and workers' compensation, medical malpractice and wrongful death matters in New Mexico. There is no charge to submit a request and no obligation to hire anyone.

Each community below has its own guide with the local court, insurance rules and every type of injury claim.

• Deming, NMpop. 14,522
• Columbus, NMpop. 1,625

New Mexico generally gives an injured person three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (NMSA 1978, § 37-1-8); medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within three years, and wrongful death claims typically run from the date of death. Claims against New Mexico governmental entities require written notice within 90 days under the Tort Claims Act. Claims against a city, county, school district or state agency require a formal notice of claim far sooner, sometimes within a few months. Once the deadline passes, the Luna County District Court will dismiss the case regardless of how clear the fault was, so the practical rule in Luna County is to get legal advice early.

New Mexico follows pure comparative negligence. In plain terms, you can recover damages even if you were mostly at fault, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule from the first phone call, which is why the way an accident is described and documented in the days after it happens in Luna County has a direct effect on what a claim is worth.

After a crash in Luna County, the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the primary source of compensation. New Mexico requires drivers to carry only 25/50/10 in coverage (thousands of dollars for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage), which serious injuries quickly exhaust. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy and claims against additional responsible parties often make the difference in Luna County cases.

Lawsuits arising from accidents in Luna County are typically filed in the Luna County District Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Luna County, although cases can sometimes be filed where the defendant resides or does business, and claims against out-of-state trucking companies or manufacturers may end up in federal court. Most claims settle before trial, but the credible ability to try a case in Luna County is what moves insurers to pay fair value.

Employees injured on the job in Luna County are generally covered by New Mexico workers' compensation, administered through the New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration. Report the injury to your employer immediately and file a claim within the state's deadline (generally about one year). Workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering, so when a third party such as a subcontractor, driver or equipment manufacturer caused the injury, a separate personal injury claim is often worth pursuing alongside it.

• Grant County, NM
• Dona Ana County, NM
• Hidalgo County, NM
• Sierra County, NM

See the New Mexico personal injury guide for every county in the state.