A Santa Fe attorney made his way into the news for an unfortunate reason recently. According to new reports, a member of the State Bar, and well-known attorney critically injured a man in downtown Santa Fe. The Santa Fe car accident, a hit-and-run, happened outside a bar. After striking and injuring the accident victim, the Santa Fe attorney fled the scene and was eventually stopped near the convention center, blocks from the scene of the accident.
Also troubling is the fact that the attorney’s passenger is a state police Sergeant assigned to the governor’s security detail. Although this story reflects that no one is above the law, it also unfortunately goes further to cast a negative light on local New Mexico attorneys.
The attorney now faces both criminal and civil charges. Based on his conduct of fleeing the scene, he likely has exposure for punitive damages in the event they are pursued. These damages are generally excluded by liability insurance which may leave the Santa Fe attorney having to take a closer look at some of his assets.
