Category: Personal Injury Law

Today, ride-sharing services have reduced the demand for taxis. Those services hire contractors. Those contractors/drivers use their own vehicles. Do they also use their own insurance?

Rules for someone that has been hit by a ride-sharing vehicle

Do not plan to sue the ride-sharing company. Each of its drivers is a contractor. Those contractors set their own schedule and create their own work conditions. Still, a ride-sharing company could be held financially responsible for accident-caused losses. The person that has suffered such losses could go after the company’s own insurance coverage.

Someone that has been in collision with a vehicle that is providing ride-sharing services should first make a 3rd person claim with the responsible driver’s insurance company. If that company has refused to cover the incident, then the injured victim of the collision should contact the ride-sharing company.

Approach taken by auto insurance companies

Typically, such a company will not cover someone that drives for hire. Still, some states allow the same drivers to purchase a type of protection that is called an endorsement. The purchased endorsements get added to the auto insurance policies of the men and women that have chosen to serve as a contractor for a ride-sharing company.

What happens to drivers that live in a state where insurance companies do not sell such endorsements? In those states the drivers that are contractors for a particular ride-sharing service get forced to assume a certain degree of risk. Typically, an insurance carrier that does not sell such endorsements does not want any of its policyholders driving for hire. Consequently, if a contracted driver gets into an accident the carrier refuses to cover the victim’s losses. Furthermore, the same carrier might cancel the policy that had been purchased by the contracted driver.

Of course, that would not keep an injured victim from seeking some level of compensation. He or she could go after whatever insurance coverage was being offered by the insurer of the ride-sharing service. Of course, a victim with severe injuries might submit a claim that exceeded the limit, as stated in the service company’s policy.

In that case, the insurance company would refuse to cover the victim’s losses. Yet in the eyes of the law, the ride-sharing company would remain financially responsible for the victim’s losses. Consequently, the Personal Injury Lawyer in Mississauga know that the injured victim would have the right to sue the ride-sharing service, which would mean facing the service’s legal representative in a court of law.

Victims that get into such a situation have to spend many hours visiting a doctor’s office. In that way, the same victims can create the sort of medical record that might impress a jury, and might lead to receipt of a generous compensation.

When an Injury Lawyer in Mississauga work with their clients, in order to compose a demand letter, the injured client often asks if there is some average figure for a demand in a letter to the insurance adjuster. Unfortunately, there is no average personal injury case. (more…)

As an injured accident victim seeks compensation, he or she gets forced to learn a good deal about the legal process. Like most men and women that get introduced to the same process, that accident victim seeks the answer to various questions. (more…)

Both of the parties in a given lawsuit use depositions. A deposition serves as a tool for obtaining information from the other side. That tool aids creation of out-of-court testimony from various witnesses, each of which has made a statement under oath. (more…)

In order to win a defective product claim, the plaintiff needs to demonstrate the occurrence of some level of harm, or some degree of loss, as a result of the reported defect. (more…)

It costs ordinary citizens money, in order to retain the services of a lawyer. Yet lawyers refer to that money as their fee. By the same token, each lawyer that receives a fee has previously used his or her own money to cover certain costs. (more…)

Unfortunately, wrongful death lawsuits in Ontario are particularly common in civil courts. When someone is fatally injured because of the maleficence of another individual, the family members of the victim are entirely entitled to file a lawsuit against the party at fault for wrongful death. This claim could be brought up against different individuals. However, something that needs to be accounted for is that the same claim can also be filed against companies as well as against government agencies. (more…)

When you are injured in an accident, you are entitled to bring a claim towards the liable party regarding the reparation of the costs for the necessary medical as well as other expenses. It is particularly common to seek specialized and professional chiropractic assistance after you’ve been involved in an accident which has caused orthopedic injuries. This is a common part of almost all rehabilitation programs and it most definitely needs to be accounted for. (more…)

DUI or DWI, it really doesn’t matter – they both stand for the same thing – driving while under the influence of a drug or other sort of opiate or intoxicating substance. The prevailing practice reveals that alcohol is the most common cause for DUI. However, the thing is that this is absolutely illegal and it could cause you quite a lot of troubles. Getting pulled over for a routine inspection during which the officers discover that you are driving under the influence could cost you your driving license, severe fines, administrative liability as well as actual jail time, depending on the severity of the transgression. Hiring a lawyer in a situation of the kind is not only advisable but it’s practically mandatory if you want to walk away with the least amount of consequences.

Things to be Aware of

Being pulled over is the least of your problems. Even if the police officers discover that you are driving while drunk or intoxicated, this has to be determined with blood tests, the execution of which can’t happen unless you permit it. However, it’s absolutely essential that you do call an injury lawyer, if you are experiencing issues because they have a significant amount of experience in cases like this and could help you out. Some of the worst injuries and damages are associated with vehicle crashes that involves drugs, alcohol induced stupor and carelessness that has led to the accident. This is why having a lawyer to support your claim and ensure assistance while dealing with law enforcement agencies is important.

Being Involved in an Accident

That’s the worst part of DUI cases. If you have been drunk driving or driving under the influence of any other sort of opiate which isn’t allowed, you are going to have considerable issues with the law authorities, especially if you fail to hire experienced DUI lawyer in Ontario. The reason is pretty obvious, yet a lot of people fail to grasp its’ full value – not only is it illegal to drive while drunk or under the influence, it’s also incriminated in certain situations. With this in mind, you might be facing criminal charges, especially if there is a victim involved. What is worst, you would be stripped of your compensatory rights because no insurance policy is going to take your claims seriously and they are going to get denied right away.

Your only considerable chance is to fight the report or to go for a settlement offer. Luckily for you, as your legal aid being the professional and experienced DUI lawyer could definitely help you out with both. They have extensive practice in the practice area and are well aware of how to make the most out of the terrible situation that you’ve put yourself in. Only an injury lawyer will be able to assist you while trying to do it all alone might be difficult.

ll of the civil legislation of the province of Ontario governs the reparation of different types of injuries. The truth is that the majority of accidents are going to cause orthopedic injuries and they are without a doubt the most common type. That’s why the majority of provisions and statutes such as the Occupiers’ Liability Act, the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, the Dog Owner’s Liability Act, the Insurance Act of Ontario and many more are all focused towards the reparation of damages, both physical and emotional. Let’s go ahead break it down and see how the different legislations are going to regulate the compensation of physical injuries.

The Dog Owner’s Liability Act which was pushed forward back in 1990 on the 31st of December clearly defines the liability of the owner of the dog which has caused the damages. He is liable for all of the physical damages which the victim has had to incur as a result of the attack of the animal. This, however, doesn’t only cover the orthopedic injuries but also the emotional ones which are most commonly referred to as pain and suffering.

The Occupiers’ Liability Act which was enacted on the same day as the previous piece of legislation is also providing broad responsibility for the occupier if someone has been injured, while passing his premises. This is also a fair solution and of course the legislation also governs the determination of compensation for pain and suffering as well.

The Insurance Act of Ontario, on the other hand, is the one which governs the responsibility of the insurance company towards compensating the insured for the damages that he is covered for under his particular personal insurance company. For the most parts, we are talking about orthopedic injuries.

However, it’s also worth noting that orthopedic injuries can be manifested in a variety of different forms. The term itself encompasses a wide range of different damages such as broken bones, ripped muscle tissue, ripped tendons and dislocated joints amongst many other injuries. However, the truth is that the majority of orthopedic injuries wouldn’t have that serious of consequences but they shouldn’t be underestimated. As a matter of fact, the range of orthopedic injuries is so wide that some might cause temporary pain which goes away for a couple of hours while others might cause tremendous complications and even permanent disabilities. This is why it’s impossible to gather them under one uniform term and talk about them in general. Every orthopedic injury is subjected to different compensation as per the consequences that it’s going to bring. This is why orthopedic injuries are an integral part of the law, even though they are primarily a part of the medical profession.  However, lawyers work in close proximity with the doctors to ensure that the fair and just settlement is reached.