Category: Personal Injuries

How Much is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?

For many people injured in an accident, pursuing compensation for their injuries is a necessary part of their road to recovery. The first question we often get asked when meeting with an injured person is, “How much is my claim worth?” Unfortunately, the answer is often “It depends.” We know that can be frustrating to hear, but there are many factors that go into evaluating the value of a claim, and every case is different. Below are just some of the factors that may affect how much you might receive from a court in damages if you sue the person or persons responsible for your injuries. Continue reading

Auto Insurance Reform Online Survey (Deadline: March 6, 2020). No-fault Insurance Will Have Serious Consequences for Injured People. What You Need to Know.

You may have heard that the Alberta Government is looking to reform the province’s Auto Insurance system. An online survey has been set up to collect input from Albertans. No details have been provided on what the new system would look like, but there has been reference to moving to a no-fault system.

We encourage all Albertans to take part in the survey and let the Government know what you want (and what you don’t want). You can find the link to the survey at the bottom of this post.

Before you provide your input, it’s important to understand in practical terms what a shift to a no-fault system will mean if you, or a loved one, is seriously injured in a car accident.

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Halloween: the Scariest Night of the Year for Personal Injury Lawyers

Halloween, steeped in its Celtic origins, has been embraced as a fun holiday by most Canadians, including children, teenagers, and adults. For those who celebrate Halloween, this is a wonderful time of the year. For an experienced plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer, however, Halloween can be a very scary night.

Young children, decked out in colourful costumes idealizing what they would like to be, or dressed as their favourite pop culture character, will run from house to house to gather treats from strangers, frequently in unknown neighbourhoods and in darkness. Teenagers will gather for raucous Halloween parties with their friends, frequently indulging in alcohol or drugs. Continue reading

The Real Costs of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving, as a contributing cause of serious accidents, is not new but the causes of distraction have increased as our society adopts new and more pervasive technology.

The RCMP considers distracted driving a form of impaired driving, because “a driver’s judgement is compromised when they are not fully focused on the road.” In Alberta alone, there were 23,546 distracted driving convictions in 2018. In an effort to reduce distracted driving incidents, as of January 1, 2016, penalties for distracted driving in Alberta began to include three demerit points in addition to a $287 fine.

Research released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that drivers using mobile devices, whether hands-free or hand-held, are more than four times as likely to be involved in a crash. Continue reading

It’s Summer in Canada! That Means Boats and the Potential for Boating Accidents

Memories of a long hard winter fade into the past as Canadians begin to enjoy a favourite time of year – summer! Part of the fun includes water sports – sailing, power boating, water skiing, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming in our beautiful lakes. It’s never a bad idea to give some serious thought to water safety, and this is especially true when you are likely to be enjoying group activities that include young children.

Proactive Water Safety

Taking care to enjoy water sports safely means following basic safety protocols including the following:

  • Assess your swimming skills and the differing abilities of those in your group.
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School’s out! Summer Safety Reminders for Drivers, Parents, and Kids

Summer is well underway, and school is out for elementary, junior and senior high school age children. The summer means more kids on bikes, skateboards, and on foot (plugged into their smartphones). It also means an uptick in young people learning to drive. All of these things increase the potential for injuries to children. For drivers, this means you need to tune up your “kid radar” and drive defensively with a view to doing your part to ensure their safety and to protect yourself against liability.

In Alberta, ss. 185 and 186 of the Traffic Safety Act create a reverse presumption against drivers, such that if there is a collision between a motorist and a non-motorist (for example, a collision between a car and a child walking or on a bike), the onus is on the driver of the vehicle to prove that the accident did not arise solely because of their negligent operation of the vehicle. Continue reading