Why New Mexico Families Trust Hunt Law Firm
Medical-malpractice claims often require detailed medical records, qualified expert review, and a willingness to take the case through litigation when the defense refuses to make a fair offer. Families need a lawyer who can evaluate the medicine, explain their options plainly, and build a case that is ready for trial. Hunt Law Firm offers:
- Proven trial results in medical-negligence cases. Lee Hunt has taken medical negligence cases to verdict, including a $2,438,000 wrongful death verdict for the family of a 62-year-old woman who died of an infection after a series of doctors failed to diagnose her underlying condition.
- A record of pursuing cases when there is no fair offer. A jury returned $803,500 for a patient left with permanent nerve damage after Cauda Equina Syndrome went undiagnosed. The defense had offered nothing before trial.
- Medical experts engaged early. Medical-malpractice cases commonly depend on qualified medical professionals who can evaluate the care provided, identify the applicable standard of care, and explain whether a departure from that standard caused the patient’s injury.
- Representation across New Mexico. Based in Santa Fe, Hunt Law Firm represents medical-malpractice clients in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Raton, Roswell, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and communities throughout the state.
- No attorney fee unless there is a recovery. Hunt Law Firm handles qualifying medical-malpractice claims on a contingency-fee basis, meaning the firm does not collect an attorney fee unless it obtains compensation for the client.
Every case is different, and the available evidence, medical issues, applicable deadlines, insurance coverage, and damages can affect the outcome. Reviewing prior results can help you understand the firm’s experience, but no prior verdict or settlement guarantees a similar result in another case. See the firm’s case results and contact Hunt Law Firm to discuss your situation.
What Counts as Medical Malpractice Under New Mexico Law
A disappointing outcome is not malpractice. A claim exists only when a provider departed from the accepted standard of care, that departure caused an injury, and the injury produced real losses. Establishing that departure takes independent medical review of the record. We investigate claims arising from:
- Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis, including missed cancers and cardiac conditions
- Medication errors, such as the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or a dangerous interaction
- Emergency room errors, including failures to admit, test, or monitor
- Birth injuries caused by a delayed cesarean delivery, inadequate fetal monitoring, or improper delivery technique
- Surgical mistakes, retained instruments, and post-surgical infections
- Treatment given without informed consent, or care the patient signed a medical liability waiver for
One threshold question shapes what follows. The Medical Malpractice Act protects only providers that have qualified under it by establishing financial responsibility, normally through malpractice insurance, and paying the statutory surcharge. A provider that has not qualified does not receive the benefit of any of the provisions of the Act, so the rules change.
The Filing Deadline That Ends More New Mexico Claims Than Any Other
Three years sounds simple. What matters more is where the clock starts. Under the state law that sets the filing window, no claim for malpractice may be brought against a health care provider unless it is filed within three years after the date that the act of malpractice occurred. It generally does not run from the day the patient learns that something went wrong. That window belongs to the Medical Malpractice Act, so a different deadline can apply when the provider never qualified.
For minors and incapacitated persons the period is extended, so they have at least one year after reaching the age of majority or after the incapacity ends. Patients often do not connect an injury to the treatment that caused it until months or years later, so that distinction quietly ends good claims. Have your deadline confirmed by a lawyer, not estimated from a website.
How We Build a Medical Malpractice Case
New Mexico adds a step many states do not. No malpractice action may be filed in court against a qualifying independent provider before an application is made to the New Mexico Medical Review Commission and its decision is rendered, unless both sides agree to skip the panel. Since 2021, claims against hospitals and licensed outpatient health care facilities have sat outside that process. New Mexico narrowed that second category in 2026, so whether a clinic falls inside it now depends on who controls it and when the claim arose.
Our work generally moves in this order:
- We obtain the complete medical record, including nursing notes, imaging, and billing
- We send the record to an independent physician in that specialty for review
- We file the Medical Review Commission application when the Act requires it
- We file suit, take depositions, retain trial experts, and prepare the case for a jury
Damages can include past and future medical expenses, lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Separately, the Act limits some categories of recovery, and the limit depends on the type of provider and the year the injury or death occurred. Awards of past and future medical care and related benefits are not subject to that limitation. New Mexico revised several of these damages rules in 2026, so the figures that governed an older claim may not govern yours.
Schedule Your Free Consultation With a New Mexico Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If a medical error harmed you or someone in your family, the sooner you call, the more of the record and the deadline we can protect. We offer free consultations at our office, your home, or the hospital. Contact Hunt Law today to schedule your free case evaluation. You will not pay any attorney fees to us until we win compensation for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in New Mexico?
The Medical Malpractice Act requires the claim to be filed within three years after the date that the act of malpractice occurred. For minors and incapacitated persons the period is extended, so they have at least one year after the age of majority or after the incapacity ends. The clock generally runs from the treatment itself, not from the discovery of the harm, so have your deadline confirmed by a lawyer.
Do I have to go before the Medical Review Commission before I can sue?
In many cases, yes. A malpractice action cannot be filed against a qualifying independent provider until an application is made to the New Mexico Medical Review Commission and its decision is rendered, unless both sides agree to skip the panel.
What does it cost to hire a medical malpractice lawyer?
Nothing up front. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fees to us unless we recover compensation.