If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident, it’s important to contact a personal injury lawyer who can help you gather evidence and navigate through the complicated legal paperwork.

 

 

According to Transit Canada, over 10,400 people were injured in motor vehicle collisions in 2011. A total of 2,237 Canadians were killed by vehicles during the same year.

 

Some of the most common injuries sustained in car accidents are head and brain injuries, bone bruising, bone fractures, internal organ injuries, back injuries, dislocated or fractured joints and connective tissue injuries. You may also experience soft tissue damage, such as whiplash. This is trickier to diagnose and may not even begin to bother you until hours or days after the accident. That’s why it’s important to visit your family doctor after an accident, even if the pain is mild. For example, whiplash causes ongoing chronic pain for fifteen to twenty percent of the people who experience the injury. You could be paying for pain medication, physiotherapy and other accident-related costs for years.

 

 

The average claim for a car accident in 2010 was $14,973. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the average accident benefits claim for a car accident in 2010 was $56,092. The size of your claim will depend on the type and severity of your injury. If your injuries require ongoing treatment or are severe, you can expect a higher payout from the  insurance company of the person at fault.

 

 

It’s important to contact a personal injury lawyer soon after the accident. While you’re still in the hospital, or recovering, your lawyer can gather information, take photos, fill out paperwork and kept track of deadlines. In some cases, your time to file a claim may be limited (ten days when filing a claim against a municipality).

 

You are under absolutely no obligation to talk to the insurance company of the person at fault. If the company contacts you, direct their inquiries to your lawyer and let him/her handle them. Anything you do or say will go into your file and may be held against you and lower your claim at a later date. Your lawyer will protect your interests, whereas the insurance adjuster will only be interested in lowering the amount the insurance company has to pay. Since your lawyer will have experience handling insurance company questions, let him/her handle them.

 

Your lawyer will also look at the future. If you have been physically disabled in a motor vehicle accident, you may need funds for home renovation, housekeeping or childcare help, or even long-term care. Your claim should include those costs so that the money is there when you need it, sparing you and your family any financial hardship.

 

A motor vehicle accident can have severe long-term repercussions for both you and your family. It’s important to consult a personal injury lawyer who has experience with motor vehicle accidents so that you can make a claim that will reimburse you for your lost wages, pain and any permanent disability.