Rising Accident Numbers Keep Personal Injury Lawyers Busy in Toronto

It is an "interesting” time to be an injury lawyer in Toronto. Recent Toronto police statistics showed that in the second half of 2016 almost 1100 pedestrians and bikers were hit by cars. That works out to 9.5 traffic accidents a day – or one every 2.5 hours. It was a noticeable increase in statistics over the previous year.

Many reasons are given for the rise in accidents – including densification and Toronto’s ongoing traffic woes. But in addition to the human toll, there is a corresponding increase in personal injury claims.

Head injuries are common especially in accidents involving bicyclists and motor vehicles. In addition to skull fractures and internal head injuries there are musculoskeletal damages – fractures, dislocations and strains. Chest problems include rib fractures and parenchymal lung injury.

Abdomen damage may include splenic rupture, renal contusion, pancreatic trauma, small or large bowel contusion, ruptures and hernias.

Coverage for Claims

Of course, the personal injury cases are not all the result of traffic accidents. Toronto injury lawyers are also busy with claims for harm caused by interpersonal violence, recreational mishaps, sports accidents  and slip and falls.

Many of these injuries are covered by insurance policies. The Ontario Insurance Actlays out a series of fixed benefits that can be received for vehicle accident claims, including income replacement and support for care workers. In the case of "catastrophic injury” – harm that is far-reaching in its consequences – damages can go far beyond the relatively modest prescribed limits in the Act.

Finding a Lawyer in Toronto

If you go by the webpages, there would seem to be almost as many personal injury lawyers in Toronto as there are accidents! It is a competitive industry – and that is to the advantage of you, the consumer. But picking the right lawyer for you does require homework, unless you are lucky enough to have a gold-plated recommendation from someone you trust.

Always start with the basics:

•  Language: Is English your first language? For over a quarter of Ontario residents it is not, and that figure is probably higher in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Find a lawyer who speaks your language, or who is prepared to bring along an interpreter. The claims process is complex and the better the communication between you and your lawyer, the more positive the experience will be. With ease of language comes comfort and trust.

• Research: Go online. Most personal injury lawyers have websites and you can tell a lot about the firm by studying them. Does it strike you that the site’s purpose is informative – or simply to grab your attention and sell you a product (the lawyer’s services.) Search online for a head injury claims lawyer who offers you substance and not flash.