FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS
Q1. What is personal injury law?
A. Personal injury law refers to the body of rules and regulations that govern hurt or injured persons. The standards encompass civil litigations, tort laws, municipal liability, sexual harassment, product liability, long-term disability, accident benefits, and medical malpractice.
To be eligible for a claim, one has to have been hurt in a car, motorcycle, or boat, accidents. This besides, medical procedures, slipping and falling are other possible grounds. You may leverage the existing legal system to solicit compensation or other benefits from the guilty party or the insurance company.
Additionally, you may be eligible for compensation from your own insurance company. These could take the forms of long-term disability insurance, workplace insurance, homeowners insurance, or car insurance, among others.
These injuries could take the forms of physical, cognitive, or psychological natures. Physical injuries include soft tissue injuries, fractured bones, chronic pains, quadriplegia, wrongful deaths, or loss of limb. The cognitive injuries, on the other hand, may take the forms of temper problems, rage, moodiness, nightmares, sleep problems, dizziness, impaired concentration, fatigue, memory loss, sadness, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression.
Q2. After how long am I supposed to sue or initiate an accident case?
A. As soon as possible! This stems from the fact that each case is unique. Each case indeed presents itself with unique sets of challenges and limited periods. In case you fail to meet the set deadline for your example, there is a substantial likelihood that the courts will summarily dismiss your case. There is also a high probability that the court will also rule that you settle the other party’s legal costs.
Generally speaking, victims of car accidents in Ontario have a 2-year window within which to initiate a lawsuit against the at-fault driver or party. However, several other issues do abound while dealing with car accident cases. For instance, a 30-day window exists within which you are expected to submit your accident benefits applications.
Other than this, the insurance companies also require that they are furnished with the medical records within ten days after the accident. The failure to adhere to this provision will typically result in no compensation at all. Further to this, the insurance companies may also require that they are updated with the latest Disability Certificates (OCF-3) within 30 days. Failure to adhere to this requirement may attract similar penalties like the one previously.
Please note that car accidents differ markedly from the municipal slips and falls. This is because they are not governed by the 10-day written notice requirement as well as the 2-year limitation period.
Q3. How much can I expect to receive as compensation for my injuries?
A. First and foremost, it is necessary to note that each person, case, and injury is different from the other. Because of this, this particular question has no straightforward answer. The law and the insurance companies also determine to a large extent the amount of compensation you might receive.
Unlike the United States of America, caps or maximum amounts payable do exist in Canada. The numbers are set between $310,000 and $330,000. These are the maximum amounts of compensation the courts may award for any injuries.
However, Canada imposes no caps on the loss of competitive advantage at the workplace, past and future costs, future attendant cares, past losses of incomes, future damages, and other variables that are not directly connected to pain and suffering damages. These damages are further added to the pain and suffering awards to boost the total values of your claims.
Q4. Will my case proceed to the trials?
A. A whopping 99% of all the personal injury cases have traditionally been settled outside the courts. However, in some instances, the parties to the dispute are often too far apart. Because of these, such cases have often advanced to the trial stage. The same evidence may also often apply if there are several contentious issues like the credibility of the two parties, damages, and liability.
If and when the cases advance to the trial stage, the outcomes are often unpredictable. This is because there is never a ‘sure thing’ in a court of law.
The Goldfinger Injury Lawyers have participated in several accident trials against insurance companies. These trials have never been a walk in the park. On the contrary, they have always been grueling and demanding. We are however better suited to handle such claims because of possessing a vast wealth of experience in the field. We are still able to do the same job and deliver the same levels of outcomes.
Personal Injury Lawyer Vancouver BC
Tim Louis & Company
175 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1W2
(604) 732-7678
http://timlouislaw.ca/bctimlouislaw/
