Police excessive force is a serious civil rights violation when officers use more force than the law allows and that force causes catastrophic injury or death. These cases are not about split-second decisions that end without lasting harm. They are about irreversible damage and loss of life.
Collins & Collins, P.C., handles only the most serious excessive force cases. Because of the complexity and resources required to litigate these matters, we are selective. We only accept cases involving catastrophic physical injury or death.
What Qualifies as an Excessive Force Case
Excessive force includes the use of tasers, firearms, chokeholds, prone restraint, or physical force that is unjustified, prolonged, or used against someone who is restrained, unarmed, or in medical or mental distress. We focus on cases where the result is permanent injury, organ damage, brain injury, or death.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept cases that involve emotional or psychological injury alone. While those harms are real and significant, our practice is limited to cases involving catastrophic physical harm or loss of life.
Failure to Provide Medical Care After Force
Many fatal excessive force cases do not end with the use of force itself. They end because officers fail to provide medical care afterward.
When police tase, shoot, restrain, or injure someone, they have a legal duty to respond to medical distress. Ignoring symptoms, delaying emergency care, or failing to call for help can turn survivable injuries into fatal outcomes.
Our most recent excessive force case involved a man who was tased and then denied medical care. He died. The case resolved for $5 million.
If your case involves both force and medical neglect, you may also want to review our page on Failure to Provide Medical Care.
Why We Litigate These Cases
Excessive force cases expose more than individual misconduct. They reveal failures in training, supervision, discipline, and accountability. Under New Mexico and federal civil rights laws, governments can be held responsible when catastrophic harm or death results from police conduct and systemic failures.
Our Firm’s Focus
We litigate excessive force cases involving:
• Catastrophic physical injury or death
• Clear violations supported by medical and factual evidence
• Institutional accountability, not just individual officers
We do not take minor injury cases or cases limited to emotional or psychological harm.
If you believe a police encounter resulted in catastrophic injury or death, contact us promptly to discuss whether the case meets our criteria. Our firm also represents clients who have suffered serious abuse in prison or correctional facilities.