Personal Injury Law – Page 6

April 5, 2016in Personal Injury Law

Assessing Damages in a Personal Injury Claim – Part II

The ensuing content will provide information regarding family member claims and how a plaintiff’s actions or in actions can have an impact on their personal injury claim. While 90% of these cases usually settle out of court, it is still advisable to hire the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer in Burlington and their team of legal assistants to represent you until a settlement is reached. The fact is that without an experienced lawyer an out of court settlement will never give you maximum compensation as the insurance company will low ball you in settling for less.

Family Member Claims

Pursuant to the Family Law Act (FLA) of Ontario Province, a family member is allowed to sue for any financial losses associated with the care, companionship, and guidance that they have suffered due to the plaintiff’s injuries. Eligible family members of the plaintiff include:

brothers and sisters
grandchildren
grandparents
parents and children
spouses

According to the FLA, the following types of claims are recoverable in these types of personal injury cases:

Actual expenses that have been incurred for the injured or deceased individual
Compensation for the loss of care, companionship, and guidance that the claimant expected to receive had the person not been injured or passed away
Monetary reimbursement for the injured or deceased individual’s lost income
Reasonable allowance for lost income or the value of housekeeping, nursing, and other services
Reasonable travel expense reimbursement for those eligible family members who visit the injured individual while undergoing treatment and/or recovery
Reasonably incurred funeral expenses

While this will give you an idea of what the family members of the deceased or injured plaintiff may be able to claim, it is recommended that you rely on the experience and expertise of a personal injury lawyer and their team of legal assistants.

Impact of a Plaintiff’s Actions or In actions

In Ontario Province, there are some cases where the injury victim’s or plaintiff’s actions have played a role in causing or contributing to the accident. Furthermore, there are also cases where their in actions after sustaining their injuries could diminish the size of the damage award in their case. In this case, the term “inaction” refers to not getting proper medical care or treatment.

If the plaintiff has not taken reasonable precautions for their safety or their negligence contributes to their losses, this is known as “contributory negligence” and will reduce their claim for damages. Some examples of court-imposed reductions include:

Alcohol or drug impairment – contributory negligence of 25% to 45%
Failure to wear helmets while riding bikes or motorcycles – contributory negligence of 10% to 15%
Failure to wear seat belts in vehicles – contributory negligence of 15% to 25%

Keep in mind that an injury lawyer in Burlington will not only help you receive a higher settlement in claim than what you would on your own, they will ensure that your rights to that compensation are protected during the legal process.

We proudly serve the residents in the Mississauga, Brampton and Burlington areas. If you want a personal injury lawyer that represents your best interests, we’d love to review your case and give a free consultation. Contact us today!

March 16, 2016in car accidents, Motor vehicle accidents, Personal Injury FAQ, Personal Injury Law

Mistakes Made By Victims of Car Accidents

Even though the government and the provincial authorities are trying their best in order to raise as much alertness as it’s possible, it is still quite common for victims of car accidents to make a lot of mistakes. This is generally due to the fact that they are not well aware of their own rights and with the procedures that need to be followed in an event of this kind. The city of Toronto which is located in the province of Ontario is the largest city in the country and it has a population of nearly 3 million people. As you can imagine, there are a lot of car crashes which take place every single day and here are some of the most common mistakes that most of the drivers make.

They don’t call the police.

Now, it’s true that most the law clearly states that if the damages on the car are for less than $1,000 the driver doesn’t have to call the police. Now, this is a controversial provision for one particular reason. While it may seem as logical not to waste time of the authorities for inconsiderable damages, it is simply impossible for the driver to assess the cost of the damage at the time of the accident. It usually takes some time for the car to get repaired and the mechanics are the ones who would give you your total bill. Of course, if it’s about a scratch or a simple dent in the car, you can probably assess it on the moment but this also depends on the type of car that you are driving. Getting the police to document the accident is crucial and it serves as a proof in court. The report is what you will use in order to claim damages from the opposite party and it’s the document which states the parties in the trial.

They fail to seek medical attention

Regardless of the damages, seeking medical help is mandatory. If the accident wasn’t serious enough you might initially fail to feel any strong pain and you can only feel uncomfortable. However, make sure to visit the doctor in order to get a quick brief on your condition and to determine whether or not there are some internal damages.

They talk with the opposite insurance company

The insurance company of the driver at fault is likely to ask the victim about the accident. You don’t have a duty to provide them with any information – they have to get it themselves. Keep in mind that whatever you say can be used against you, if there is a trial brought up. This is why it’s better not to converse with them at all. Let your lawyer deal with the insurance company and the defendant. That is because they will consider all of the statements and communication in the legal light before replying. This helps to be within the purview of law.

March 15, 2016in Personal Injury FAQ, Personal Injury Law, slip and fall

Dangers That Hide Behind A Slip & Fall Accident

Mississauga is a city which has its location in the southern part of the province of Ontario and it has a population of a little over 650,000 people. The city is considerably large and it is regulated by the rules set forth by the province of Ontario. A particularly interesting subject which is up for discussion in the city of Mississauga is the slip & fall accident. When the common person hears about such an accident the first thing that pops into his mind is a slip that happens due to snowy or icy conditions. However, it’s important to understand that you can slip on a lot of different surfaces due to a lot of different reasons. Common examples are slippery floors in shops and malls due to recent cleaning, residual detergents or even a loose rug that you trip on when you enter.

If you are involved in an accident of this particular kind, the first thing that you should consider doing is to seek medical attention. It’s not uncommon for a lot of people to feel rather embarrassed and humiliated about having to seek attention due to a slip, but this is the most important thing that you should do. This would allow you to properly identify the injuries and take the necessary steps towards your own recovery.

Implementing duty of care

From a legal standpoint, it is termed as duty of care. This is the necessary duty that every occupier is obligated to provide in order to keep people on his premises safe at all times. Now, the law states that the people should be reasonably safe which means that there shouldn’t be any conditions which may cause accidents or at least the visitors should be aware of the risks. The obligations of the occupier as per the Occupiers’ Liability Act consolidated back in 1990 are as follows but definitely not limited to:

Keep the floors and the stairs in a proper condition
Keep the walkways clear of any ice or other slippery things
Keep your floors free of water and slippery detergents
Maintain an adequate lighting

A lot of people forget how crucial lighting actually is. There are regulations set forth which determine the amount of light that has to be provided in commercial establishments. It is also the responsibility and at the same time obligation of the occupier to make sure that the building codes are as per the legislation. Most importantly, he has to make sure that the codes are properly abided by. Of course, he could authorize another person to do so but that wouldn’t relieve him from the liability, but he would share it with the responsible party.

March 13, 2016in Brain Injuries, Personal Injury FAQ, Personal Injury Law

Filing A Lost Wage Claim In Brampton

As unfortunate as it may be, the majority of accidents involving vehicles in the city of Brampton, Ontario, often result with some disabilities. This means that the person that had to go through them is often going to experience short or long term disability. This has a lot of harmful consequences on the mentality of the person but it will also result in a loss of income. The reason for this is that he won’t be able to provide the same amount of workforce and his income is going to be reduced respectively. Sometimes the person is not going to be able to work at all and he won’t be able to continue his job and he might be left without his salary at all. It is crucial that situations like this are not left unattended and that they are treated properly because people in position like this should be able to live the normal live that they are entitled to. This is where the legislation of Ontario allows the victim to file the so called lost wage claim.

Statutory Accident Benefits

The claim can be filed towards the auto insurance company, provided that he has an actual and legal insurance contract. Drivers who are insured are entitled to actually get Statutory Accident Benefits from the insurance companies that they have a contract with. This offers them a variety of different benefits in the event of a car accident and one of them is the income replacement benefit. The victim is going to be required to file a claim with the company. However, this claim would recover you to go through a lot of paperwork and to fill out a bunch of forms.

Before you get your hopes all up, make sure to note that you won’t be entitled to the entire amount of the income that you have lost. With this in mind, you are going to be able to get up to 70% of the weekly gross income. There is also a limit of $400 a week. Of course, the victim might have decided to purchase additional coverage which means that the limit of $400 is going to get higher, according to the additional insurance clauses.

It’s also important to note that the period during which you are going to be entitled to receiving this benefit is different. This would depend on the severity of your injuries and the possibility of you getting back your job. Generally the period is for up to 2 years, but if you had to go through incredibly serious traumatic injuries and you won’t be able to work again, this period can get beyond 2 years, depending on every case individually. It is best to hire the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer so that your case gets the right light.

March 9, 2016in Brain Injuries, Personal Injury FAQ, Personal Injury Law

Statistics Regarding Brain Injuries In Ontario

Brain injuries are definitely amongst the most traumatic that a person can go through. At the same time as unfortunate as it may be, they are some of the most common injuries out there. The city of Burlington is located in the province of Ontario and the statistics that are going to be presented here are accounting for Burlington as well. Every single year more than 150,000 citizens of Canada are suffering from brain injuries. The last year of 2015 in Ontario alone, more than 800 children were victims of these severe injuries. However, it is important to know that there is a clear differentiation between traumatic and non traumatic brain injuries. The latter are also referred to as acquired brain injuries.

Brain injuries due to accidents

These are injuries which are the result of a non traumatic event. This means that the acquired brain injuries exclude causes like accidents or direct hits to the head and focuses on degenerative diseases such as cancer, tumors and many more. This is the main difference between both. It’s important to be aware of this fact because when it comes to proving the injury it is crucial to establish that the brain damage was a direct result of the accident and it wasn’t present before that.

If you fail to do so and it turns that it was an acquired brain injury your compensatory claim is going to get dismissed in this particular part. However, here are some facts which regard brain injuries in order to understand why they are so important to the field of personal injury.

Brain injuries are 10 times more common than any other spinal cord injury.
Canadians which were involved in an accident which caused them a brain injury have suffered from disabilities and have died more than from any other injury out there.
More than 12,000 brain injuries are registered in the province of Ontario every single year which lead to disabilities of all kinds.
More than 800 people in the province die of some sort of a brain injury every single year in Ontario.
It is highly likely that a female person is going to suffer from a brain injury more often than a male.
As every other year during 2015 as well the primary cause of a brain injury was a motor vehicle incident.

As you can see, brain injuries happen and they are incredibly relevant. This means that lawyers should be properly informed as to how to address those issues in order to provide their clients with proper legal representation. Make sure to stay updated with the statistics in order to build a stronger case in court. Hiring an experienced lawyer to work on your case ensures that you get the best legal assistance. Most of the brain injuries require specialized treatment and years of rehabilitation and that is why compensation is higher in such cases.

March 2, 2016in car accidents, Personal Injury FAQ, Personal Injury Law

Foundation Of Personal Injury Law In Burlington

Burlington is a relatively small city in the province of Ontario with an approximate population of about 180,000 people. However, one of the main legal fields of expertise for the majority of lawyers is the personal injury one. This is due to the fact that it seems to be the most lucrative and at the same time there is a variety of different cases which pose an interest to most of the attorneys. The area is governed by the local provincial laws of Ontario if they do not contradict to any governmental regulations. However, it is important to understand that personal injury law in Burlington is based upon several factors.

Liability

All of the compensatory claims are usually revolving around the basic concept of the responsibility. To put it into a simple prospective, a person is going to be liable for something if he or she is effectively found guilty of actually causing the injury from which the compensation derives. The injury could be caused consciously or as the result of a negligent behavior. During the trial run, the victim has to prove that he or she has taken all possible measures in order to avoid the accident. This means that if the accident proves to be set-up or caused by the claimant himself, he wouldn’t be awarded any kind of compensation at all.

Coverage of the compensation

Compensatory claims can relate to both pecuniary and non pecuniary damages. The first ones are the direct damages while the latter represent the so called pain and suffering. As you can see, there isn’t a differentiation between both as far as grounds for a case go. However, it’s important to know that the damages that you can claim are limited to a certain amount. Back in 2004 the Supreme Court of Canada issued an effective ruling which basically restricted courts from awarding compensatory claims for more than $300,000. This means that if you want to file a compensatory claim for your personal injuries your non-pecuniary or emotional claim can be somewhere in the range between $1 and $300,000.

Exceptions

Drivers and owners of motor vehicles can’t be brought on charges for non-pecuniary damages unless the accident has resulted in severe damages. Examples are scarring and permanent disfigurement as well as other severe impairment of the health of the victim. Compensation depends upon the level of injuries.

Limitations

There are certain limitations which apply to personal injury law as per the Statute of Limitations. The solution is rather fair but it’s different for every single case, depending on the cause of the accident and the category that it falls within. With this in mind the terms can range somewhere between 6 months and five years.