Hurt at Work
Section 52-1-29 — written notice to the employer within fifteen days, sixty at most
A worker claiming compensation gives the employer written notice of the accident within fifteen days after knowing or having reason to know of it. If the injury or another cause beyond the worker's control prevents that, notice is given as soon as reasonably possible and no later than sixty days after the accident.
Who handles this in New Mexico: New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the New Mexico directory.
Each employer posts a notice of the fifteen day requirement, with a preprinted form for describing the accident, and an employer's failure to post it tolls the time, as the section sets out.
If the employer or insurer fails or refuses to pay an installment after notice was given, the worker files a claim no later than one year after that failure or refusal.
Sources for this section (2)
- NMSA 1978, § 52-1-29 — Notice of accident to employer; employer to post clear notice of requirement
- NMSA 1978, § 52-1-31 — Claim to be filed for workers' compensation; effect of failure to give required notice or to file claim within time allowed
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of November 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Mexico attorney.