Victim of a drunk driver — not the DWI case
This page is for people hurt by someone else's impaired driving. The criminal case against the other driver and your injury claim are different. A conviction or a plea in the DWI case can still matter to the civil claim, but you do not have to wait forever to get medical care documented.
UNM and NMDOT data show alcohol is involved in a small share of all crashes but a large share of fatal ones in New Mexico. Bernalillo County has among the highest counts of alcohol-involved crashes in the state. Punitive damages can be available in some drunk-driving injury cases when the conduct was especially reckless. We will tell you honestly whether the facts support that.
If you were the one charged with DWI
This page is not for the driver facing the criminal charge.
What a civil claim can cover
- Emergency care, surgery, and ongoing treatment
- Lost wages and reduced ability to work
- Pain, suffering, and limits on daily life
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy
What to do now
Get medical care and keep the crash report number. Do not discuss the crash on social media. Call us before you settle with any insurer. If the other driver was charged with DWI, we can still move the injury claim forward while that case is pending.