Tag Archives: personal injury claim

Getting The Best Out of Your Personal Injury Claim

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When people are injured in accidents, most of them assume that their insurance companies, or those of the at-fault party will promptly honor their compensation claim. However, the harsh reality is that insurance companies are for-profit organizations whose aim is to protect their own business interests. They would adopt several methods to delay, deny, dismiss or dispute your claim based on a variety of “facts” and technical aspects.

An experienced personal injury lawyer can deal with the complex medical, legal and insurance issues involved. This leaves the injured person free to concentrate on getting his/her life back on track.

The claims process can be quite lengthy and stressful if you’re not prepared for it. Most claims are settled out-of-court and rarely make it to trial. They’re settled through negotiation, arbitration, mediation etc. Court outcomes are unpredictable. Hence, settlement is a good option. Avoid trying to handle the claim on your own. This is not a job for DIY enthusiasts.

Successful claims hinge on evidence and the law. Ensure that you preserve all bills, receipts, documents, etc. Take photos of the accident-scene, location, injuries, damage etc with date/time stamps immediately if possible. Avoid confrontation, discussions etc with anyone. Visit a qualified doctor immediately, even if you feel your injuries are minor. This helps to leave a paper-trail if your injuries turn out to be serious later. Don’t talk to insurance-company representatives or claims adjusters without your personal injury lawyer’s go-ahead. Keep an accident journal to record all events and don’t be tempted to take swift, meager settlements in the short-term.

Assessing the worth of Pain and Suffering

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Apart from the physical and financial injuries and losses suffered when people are injured in accidents, the emotional component is equally important. People suffer enormous pain and suffering both physically and mentally as a result of serious injuries. Some of these consequences may result in serious emotional and psychological disturbances. For instance, accident victims may suffer from sleep problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, behavioral issues, phobias, fears, etc. Besides these negative aspects, people may experience the loss of joy and happiness, which are essential for living a normal life and conducting normal relationships.

Accidents are rarely accidental and are usually caused by someone’s fault or negligence. Accident victims are entitled to seek compensation for their injuries.

In Canada, courts impose an upper limit for compensation claims for pain and suffering. This is usually in the region of $350,000. There are other conditions to be met under new insurance regulations, where a statutory deductible is made on all settlements. There is also a “verbal threshold” limit imposed by the Ontario legislature. This threshold has to be met and this evaluation rests entirely on the presiding judge in the case.

However, if a robust claim, based on clear and compelling evidence, backed by expert testimony from physicians and employers, and a credible, honest plaintiff, is presented, there are very good chances of meeting the criteria. Each case is different and the circumstances in every accident are different. Our experienced, skilled and expert personal injury lawyers can help you to get the compensation you deserve.

Car Accident Injuries: Dealing With Hip Pain

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If you or a dear one has suffered injuries in a car accident, it’s important to be aware of the different areas where you may feel pain. When there are serious injuries, it’s possible that the trauma prevents you from feeling lesser pains in other areas. These injuries, if left untreated, can cause bigger problems like osteoporosis etc later on. After consulting a qualified doctor, contact a car accident lawyer immediately. You may be entitled to compensation.

What is a cause of Hip pain?

Hip pain is a common after-effect in motor-vehicle accidents. This is caused by a variety of injuries like acetabular fracture (break in the hip joint bones), bursitis (inflammation of the bursae) hip fracture or dislocation, tendonitis etc.

Such injuries occur when the knee slams into the dashboard, due to forceful impact in a collision, or sudden jerking movements that cause sprains/strains/tendon-tear etc.

What is treatment of Hip pain?

Treatment comprises pain-management, anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, activity modification, steroids or surgery.

There are serious physical, financial and emotional consequences, both long and short term. Restricted mobility and post-surgical convalescence may require the injured person to discontinue working. Traumatic arthritis and excruciating pain are some of the after-effects. Pain relieving medications can cause the person to be drowsy and unable to work. This leads to loss of income/wages. High medical and rehabilitation expenses, along with pain and suffering can cause enormous distress to the entire family. If your accident was caused by someone else’s fault/negligence, you’re entitled to compensation. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Report Car Accident to your Nearest Location

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When motor-vehicle accidents happen, all those involved experience shock, anxiety and confusion, regardless of whether there was damage to the vehicles/property or injuries to people. When the damage/injuries are serious, emotions are heightened, leaving people dazed and perplexed about what to do next. In either case, the collision has to be reported to the police, to your insurance company or to the nearest Collision Reporting Center (CRC) based on the severity of the accident, the kind of damage sustained by the vehicles and the nature of injuries suffered.

If the damage sustained by the vehicles seems to be above $2000, there are severe injuries or someone has been killed, a driver appears intoxicated or impaired, a cyclist or pedestrian was involved and a driver is uninsured or does not have a license, the police have to be informed immediately by calling the 911 emergency services number. You will need to wait till the police and ambulance services arrive.  Otherwise, the collision can be reported at the nearest Collision Reporting Centre within 24 hours. If you’re unaware of the location of your nearest CRC, a call to your local police station would provide you with this.

CRCs are police-private partnerships with certain reputed insurance companies to assist motorists with convenient reporting of accidents that do not require the police to come to the accident scene immediately. Here motorists are helped to complete the accident report and get the damage photographed and documented for insurance purposes. Most insurance policies have a clause that drivers are required to report all accidents regardless of the extent of damage. Though some people assume that if damages are minimal and they settle directly with the other party, they need not report the accident to the police. However, this means that you run the risk of being charged with either hit and run or leaving the scene of the accident, which is a serious offense and can increase your insurance premium considerably.

This includes reporting accidents that happen not just on roads, freeways, city-streets etc, but also inside parking lots, private properties etc. to the nearest CRC or police station.

If you, your family or a friend has been injured in an accident, please feel free to speak to one of our injury lawyers for a free consultation about how we are able to assist in making a personal injury claim. We consult in all cities across Ontario with a no win no fee guarantee. Our personal injury lawyers have helped victims secure millions of dollars in personal injury cases. Call us Toll Free On our 24/7 Injury Hotline: 1 – 844 495 7333 or Text a Personal Injury ‎Lawyer 24/7 and get instant help. (416 931 5015)