Wrongful Death

Looking For A Wrongful Death Attorney In Albuquerque?

Criminal Defense

Looking For A Criminal Defense Lawyer In Albuquerque?

If you need a criminal defense lawyer in Albuquerque, read this page before you do anything else.

In basketball, they say that a good defense is the best offense. The same goes when you have to go to trial because your life is on the line and the best way to prevent yourself from going to jail is by selecting a criminal defense lawyer who will be able to represent you when the evidence is presented.

Criminal defense lawyers are a special breed of individuals because they will do everything in their power to make sure their client does not go to jail.

Here are some commonly asked questions we get from people who are looking for a criminal defense lawyer.

Q: How Do I Find A Criminal Defense Lawyer For My Case?

A: When you are arrested for a crime, the only thing that can only help get out of a jam is with the help of a criminal defense lawyer. You can choose who wants to represent you which shouldn’t be a problem if you have money but if you don’t, you will have to settle with whoever the court appoints for you. But for those who can hire one, here are a few tips to help you select a professional.

First, when you meet the criminal defense lawyer, you should ask how long has he or she been practicing criminal law and also how many cases did they win. Surely you don’t want to work with a lawyer who is fresh out of college or has never won a case. You also don’t want to work with someone who chooses to settle the matter out of court very often because you will probably get the shorter end of the stick when you decide to go for the plea bargain.

The more years of experience this person has, the better because this professional should already know the ins and outs of the judicial system. That person may have already dealt with the prosecution in the past and knows how to get a winning verdict.

Naturally, you have to be comfortable with the lawyer who will be representing you in the case. He or she should be able to give you updates like when is the trial, what strategy will be used during trial and other matters that may help make the outcome go in your favor.

Since you are already in your office, be sure that the criminal defense lawyer you are speaking with will be the one who will actually defending you and not handed over to another person in the firm.

This is because a lot of the legal rules are hidden away in court interpretations of federal and state constitutions. A good example is whether or not the search of your home was reasonable. It can only be considered a good search if the police obtained a warrant otherwise anything found is not admissible in court.

Given that the criminal defense lawyer has crossed swords with the prosecution in the past, they are already familiar with the tactics that the opposing party will be using and be prepared for it.

As you can see, it is a very specialized field and there are many things that need to be checked out by your criminal defense lawyer before you are given a guilty or not guilty verdict.

When your case has been given to them, you will be asked what happened. You will have to give your version of the events that took place. After listening, they will provide you with a reality check especially what will happen should the case go to trial.

They will then review the police report, interview witnesses and examine the evidence. Since it is hard to look at everything on their own, they sometimes have researchers do it.

Q: How Do I Submit A Plea In Court?

A: When you are arraigned in court, you are required to submit a plea. You could plead guilty or not guilty while some do not give one yet and then prepare for the trial date.

If the evidence against you is overwhelming, perhaps your criminal defense lawyer can negotiate so you can get a lighter sentence or reduced charges. This can only happen if this is your first time or you have a criminal record and you have something to trade.

For those who want to go to trail, the criminal defense lawyer will now prepare your defense. This may sometimes mean taking up your stand and telling the court the events that took place. This may be risky so before hand, you will be briefed on what to say.

Witnesses will be presented. Some of these people will be able to aid in your defense while others will be against you so another job that the criminal defense lawyer will do is cross examine them in order to cast doubt in the testimony they are giving.

The trial is almost over when the criminal defense lawyer and the prosecution give their closing arguments. The jury will then be given time to deliberate the case so you will know the verdict when they come back into the court and read it.

If you get a not guilty verdict, the criminal defense lawyer was able to do their job since you are free. But if you are guilty, then the next step is to appeal the decision to a higher court and hopefully, they will overturn that decision.

What a criminal defense lawyer does is not easy because the person they are helping out could commit a similar crime again or even worse in the future. Sadly, this is how the justice system works because everyone has a right to counsel and tried before their peers.

Q: What Are The Legal Fees For A Criminal Defense Lawyer?

A: Given that the practice of criminal defense work is their bread and butter, you should also discuss the fee arrangements. Some lawyers charge a flat fee while others do it on an hourly basis. It is better to get a flat fee so you are not charged every time you have to consult your lawyer over the phone or in person. You should also find out if this already covers the case should this go to trial.

While the criminal defense lawyer will do their share to maintain your innocence, you should also do your share so this can happen. You do this by cooperating with them so they will be able to come up with a good defense.

The best criminal defense lawyer to get is the one who is experienced. After all, a criminal trial may last weeks or even months before a verdict is reached. This may cost you a great amount of money but if you get a not guilty verdict from the jury, it is surely worth every penny so you can move on with your life instead of spending the rest of it behind bars.

Q: Why Choose Bowles Law Firm?

A: As a former federal prosecutor and military prosecutor and defense counsel, and now private defense counsel for over 20 years, Mr. Bowles has represented individuals in criminal defense cases in state, federal and military courts in New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, California and Washington, D.C.

He aggressively defends and fights for his clients in each case and puts the prosecution to their burden to prove the case. Mr. Bowles believes that it is important to thoroughly investigate the facts and to hire appropriate experts, if necessary, to aggressively represent individuals accused of crimes.

Attorney Jason Bowles knows the emotional toll that comes with being charged with a crime and for each client, he and his caring and patient staff assist in helping clients through the process and in fighting the charges to the end.

If you are seeking an attorney, contact us here for a free case review.

Catastrophic Injury

Catastrophic injuries can occur through a wide variety of work place or other accidents and falls and usually involve long term rehabilitation and care for the injured person.

To properly handle these cases, Bowles Law Firm contacts appropriate and necessary experts, where needed, to review and evaluate the liability and damages.

Bowles Law Firm has worked with experts in accident reconstruction, OSHA compliance, work place safety, traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries, broken bones, rehabilitative services and life care planners.

It is very important to put together a solid liability and damages presentation, and to always prepare as if a case is going to trial. Bowles Law Firm has extensive experience in handling catastrophic injury cases in all areas.

If you or someone you know is seeking a personal injury attorney, contact us for a free consultation.

Auto Accident

Bowles Law Firm handles all types of auto accident like car, motorcycle and trucking accidents, and is very experienced in helping clients through the process with insurance companies. Insurance companies frequently try to nickel and dime individuals who have been injured in an accident. At Bowles Law Firm we work hard to maximize each of our clients recovery, and we will fight the insurance companies to make sure clients get what they are deserved. Jason Bowles and Nancy Murphy Bowles work closely with clients to answer questions and assist with their cases throughout the process. We would be happy to evaluate and see if we can help you in your case. 

For a free case evaluation, contact us here.

Federal White Collar & Tax Defense

Mr. Bowles spent five years as a federal prosecutor and worked on complex fraud, smuggling and tax cases. Now as a private defense counsel for almost 20 years, he has represented individuals in some of the highest profile cases in the district of New Mexico, including prosecutions of the former Treasurer of the State of New Mexico, an individual charged in fraud in the building of the metropolitan courthouse, very significant and complex tax prosecutions, and several financial and banking cases, whether brought by individual U.S. Attorney’s Offices or the Department of Justice.  

For a free case evaluation, contact us here

Medical Malpractice

Looking For A Medical Malpractice Attorney In Albuquerque?

If you need a medical malpractice attorney in Albuquerque, read this page before you do anything else.

There are so many cases that we get to read about where the patient had to suffer because of wrong diagnosis and treatment – things such as a left leg being amputated instead of right leg, or wrong kidney operation, wrong eye operation or being treated for flu when it was something else.

The wrong treatment given by a medical practitioner because of his negligence is what we call Medical Malpractice. It could be failure to diagnose the disease, misdiagnosis of a disease, not providing the right treatment, or unreasonable delay in the treatment.

Claims can be made by you incase of the following three things:

* If the medical service provider failed his duty of care as a case of negligence, and for which other providers would have done something else under the same circumstances.
* If the wrong treatment had caused you loss or damage; be it physical, mental or monetary loss.
* If it is reasonable to hold the provider guilty, then he has to pay for the harm or damages caused by the wrong treatment.

Medical Malpractice Insurance

Most medical providers now have malpractice insurance. This way they are covered from any liability claims made by the patient. The cost of this insurance has risen after the growing number of claims made, and moreover, the reduced supply of the insurance coverage led to the loss of the insurers.

Usually the attorney of the patient makes the claims, and if the damages can be agreed, then the damages would be paid by the insurance company which has insured the medical provider. Otherwise, the attorney has to file a case in the court and based on interrogations, discoveries, and documents provided, the case will be settled.

Malpractice Benefits:

Though almost all diseases come under medical malpractice, the five top most diseases that receive the highest monetary awards are:

1. Breast cancer
2. Lung cancer
3. Colorectal cancer
4. Heart attack
5. Appendicitis

The allegations made are mostly for delayed diagnosis or improper testing. So as a result of the delay, the patient suffers severe complications which may sometimes lead to death. This is the reason why large monetary awards are related with these diseases.

There are several obstacles for you to overcome to successfully win the award. The first thing that you should know is that you should start the case before the statute of limitations runs out.  In New Mexico, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice is generally three years from the date of the malpractice.

This is the time period under which the case should be filed, as in many areas compensation is not paid after the expiry of the time period.

The second obstacle for you is to prove that it was malpractice and not just a medical error as a result of side effects caused by drugs or surgeries. So do not let your case be proved a medical error, which is considered normal.

For any legal advice you must consult a good and well practiced attorney or someone you can trust.  Contact Bowles Law Firm now for your free case review call 505-217-2680

A patient comes to a medical professional to heal or treat an ailment. When the opposite happens, that the patient is injured or the situation worsens because of a mistake on the part of the health care provider, this is called medical malpractice.

Malpractice occurs when a doctor or a health care professional deviates from the standards which are accepted in the medical profession. It is mostly the doctor who has the final say in the procedure or treatment that a patient undergoes.

Once a medical practitioner veers away from the standard medical practice and it results to serious injuries or complications on the patient’s health, this is considered malpractice.

In cases where a medical practitioner is accused of malpractice, another health care professional is asked of the procedure that is applicable in the circumstances of the patient. He should have done what is expected of a practitioner who is under the same situation.

The worst case scenario is when a patient dies inadvertently due to the mistake on the part of the doctor.

What Qualifies As Medical Malpractice?

First, take a look at the mistakes which classify as medical malpractice:

1. injuries relating to birth
2. incorrect dosage and dispersal of medicine or error with prescription
3. incorrect or delayed diagnosis of an ailment
4. improper treatment
5. surgery mistakes
6. failure to refer to a medical specialist
7. health complications from anesthesiologists
8. improper procedures performed on emergency rooms
9. abuse of patients in nursing homes, children’s ward and other medical institutions
10. mistakes with the general treatment of a patient

There are cases where a healthy part of the body is removed because of incorrect diagnosis. A delay in the delivery of a baby may result to more serious complications.

More specifically, malpractice occurs when the medical professional neglects to perform his or her duties on a timely and efficient manner. Just like with any other aspect in our lives, negligence would always have negative results.

In the medical profession, there should be zero tolerance for negligence because people’s lives and their health are at stake.

Medical Malpractice Laws and Cases

The laws regarding malpractice in the United States may differ from state to state. They are changed from time to time and some laws may apply only to particular circumstances.

If you have a relative or a friend who may have suffered or died due to medical malpractice, then you may consult a lawyer in your state who specializes in such cases. Make sure that the lawyer that you will consult has an extensive experience in this field so that you will have the best legal support possible. You may also review past medical malpractice cases to learn more about
this.

If you have a medical malpractice case, it would be difficult to immediately recognize whether you have a good or bad case against the health care professional.

Just like in criminal or corporate law, each case is unique and has its own downsides and merits. Your lawyer may need to work through all the details about the case.

Most of these cases are dragging and consumes a lot of your time and expenses. Talk with your lawyer before deciding to file a case. Most legal practitioners would first consider the financial and legal merits of your case before they formally proceed to court.

Medical malpractice is a growing problem in New Mexico. When filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, make sure that you have a lawyer on your side who will adequately defend your rights.

Hire An Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney In Albuquerque

Bowles Law Firm is very experienced in handling medical malpractice cases.

Jason Bowles has handled cases for the past 16 years, in a wide variety of areas, both as a defense lawyer and for plaintiffs, individuals and families. Mr. Bowles has handled many cases of failure to diagnose, negligent operative care, negligent intubations, birthing malpractice, failure to monitor medical care, failure to monitor suicidal patients, and numerous others types of malpractice.

It is important in handling a medical malpractice case to have the medical records reviewed by competent and seasoned medical experts, whether that be physicians, nurses, psychiatrists or other experts. There are unique rules and regulations in these cases dealing with medical practitioners and it is important to retain a lawyer with significant experience. Mr. Bowles and the experienced staff at Bowles Law Firm stand ready to assist with all types of medical malpractice matters.

Contact Bowles Law Firm now for your free case review call 505-217-2680