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Oct 16, 2025
You may have seen billboards and TV ads boasting about multi-million-dollar settlements following a personal injury lawsuit settlement or jury award. Sometimes, these settlements make the news. During your consultation with your attorney, they can go over New Mexico personal injury settlement amount examples to help you understand what you may be entitled to.
Settlement Examples in New Mexico
In mid-2023, Progressive Insurance agreed to pay around $25,000 to each plaintiff as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit that alleged Progressive overcharged New Mexico policyholders and undervalued claims.
Walgreens recently agreed to pay $500 million to settle claims that it mismanaged its opioid prescription program. The plaintiffs allege that Walgreens and other major pharmacies dispensed highly addictive painkillers across the state and didn’t red-flag unneeded prescriptions. Opioid overdose remains a leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
In late 2023, survivors representing the estate of Dennis Murphy sued the doctors through a medical malpractice wrongful death case that resulted in an award of $350,000 paid to the plaintiffs.
How Settlements Are Determined in New Mexico
The basic purpose of a settlement is to provide compensation that is proportionate to the financial losses that were incurred by the injured victim. Sometimes, these settlements come from an insurance company, while other times, they come directly from the at-fault party.
The major factors that determine settlement amounts are medical bills, economic damages, out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages, punitive damages, and pain and suffering considerations.
When injuries lead to disability or the need for long-term medical care, settlement can consider those potential future costs.
Once you hire a personal injury attorney, they will consider these factors when calculating what a fair settlement looks like.
- The severity of the injury. Loss of mobility, disfigurement, traumatic brain injury, and other serious forms of injury that do not heal quickly can increase the settlement figure that your attorney will seek on your behalf.
- Comparative negligence. Depending on the facts of your case, your lawyer may find it prudent to acknowledge if you shared some part in the responsibility of an accident. Not all accidents are 100% the defendant’s fault. Comparative negligence means that you can sue for the proportion that is the fault of the other party. The percentage of fault that you share will reduce your potential compensation.
- Auto policy limits. When the at-fault driver carries the minimum coverage required, your attorney may be limited when negotiating a settlement. One option is to take legal action directly against the at-fault driver so you can receive the compensation necessary to pay for your medical treatment and other costs. If the at-fault driver was not insured, your lawyer will work with your insurance policy if you have uninsured motorist coverage.
- Pain and suffering. Personal injury laws account for the possibility that someone’s emotional harm can cause just as much injury as physical harm or financial losses. Calculating pain and suffering is part science and part art. An experienced personal injury lawyer will understand how to consider all the factors related to your injury when calculating a number for pain and suffering.
- Punitive damages. Not every personal injury case will account for punitive damages. Monetary compensation can be awarded by a jury in cases where the defendant’s misconduct was particularly malicious.
