GET A FREE CONSULTATION

Blog

Legal Experience Essential for Car Accident Personal Injury Claim

Personal Injury Claims Require Legal Help


Pursuing a car accident personal injury claim on your own is not your best move. There’s no way that a layperson can know the full range of options available for redress under the Ontario Insurance Act or through a personal negligence suit. Even worse, you may be temporarily incapacitated by your injury and unable to begin the steps necessary to get the benefits you’re due. The best thing you can do is to retain a lawyer.

A personal injury lawyer will quickly initiate a number of actions on your behalf, including:
  • Finding out which insurance company is responsible for paying your accident benefits.
  • Completing your accident benefits forms (and, remember, these are time-sensitive)
  • Press to ensure your standard benefits are paid quickly
  • Make a determination as to whether or not further legal action is warranted beyond your claim under the Insurance Act. This will include obtaining police reports and interviewing witnesses
  • If a tort claim is possible, a lawyer will initiate proceedings for a lawsuit. Again, there are limitation periods in play here.
  • Pursue your claim, either through the courts or a negotiated settlement.

Ontario’s No-Fault System, and Negligence Claims

 
Ontario has a no-fault insurance system, which means that anyone who has a basic car insurance policy is eligible for standard benefits arising from a claim. The definition of motor vehicle in the Act is broad, essentially covering anything involving vehicles, including bicycles, snowmobiles, bus accidents and hit and runs. It is even possible to make a claim as a pedestrian.
 
The act sets out guidelines for compensation. Although these would seem cut and dry, they aren’t. An experienced lawyer will know the maximum benefits to which you are entitled under the Act. They can include income replacement or supplements; compensation if you become a "non-earner”; caregiver, medical and rehabilitation benefits; coverage for clothing lost in the accident or educational expenses; and even coverage of some funeral costs.
 
Tort claims are made against drivers (as opposed to insurance companies under the Insurance Act). A claim is possible when there is a need for further compensation and negligence on the part of the other driver can be proven.
 

Personal Injury Cases Require Experienced Lawyers

 
Personal injury law is an area of industry and legal knowledge. in the same way as family law or real estate law. The lawyer who did such a great job with your grandmother’s estate is not going to have the knowledge to pursue your personal injury claim to its optimal conclusion.
 
Hire a firm experienced in personal injury law. This is not an expensive proposition; many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. There should be no charge for the initial consultation. Should the lawyer or firm agree to take on your case, they will negotiate a percentage of the eventual settlement – called a contingency fee – and work with you until then without incurring expenses. It is important to understand that the lawyer you hire should be prepared to go to court on your behalf; check out his or her trial credentials, including if they are a member of the Local Trial Lawyers Association, and are active and knowledgeable about car accident personal injury claims in Toronto. 

Receive All the Benefits You Are Entitled To

By Nola

Sokoloff Lawyers can help you with your car accident personal injury claim. Sokoloff Lawyers is a boutique law firm experienced in serious personal injuries and accident benefit claims arising from motor vehicle accidents. Sokoloff Lawyers will negotiate a settlement for you, but unlike many law firms, they are also trial lawyers.

 

The Sokoloff Team have the expertise and resources to take your case to court if your case does not result in a settlement for an amount you are happy with.


If you or a loved one has suffered injuries after a car accident, a personal injury lawyer at Sokoloff Lawyers can help you apply for Statutory Accident Benefits you may be entitled to regardless of fault in the accident. A personal injury lawyer can help ensure that you receive all the benefits you are entitled to. Statutory Accident Benefits are available to you from your own insurer when you are involved in a car accident.

 

Anyone injured in a car accident is automatically entitled to accident benefits, but Sokoloff Lawyers can help ensure that you receive all the benefits to which you are entitled. These benefits are available whether you were driving, were a passenger in a vehicle or were a pedestrian hit by a motor vehicle. It is important to know that these benefits are also available to you regardless of fault.