Car accidents are a traumatizing event. First you have the car accident itself, then you have the rush of emotions and adrenalin that goes with it. Victims of car accidents sometimes suffer from shock, where the victim will not notice the injuries that they have sustained during the accident. Some of these victims ‘walk it off’, exchange insurance information, and wait for a tow truck or a pickup, and then simply go home. Days, weeks, or even months later these same people find themselves suffering from headaches, extreme back pain, or new fears that they never had before. Sadly, because so much time has passed since the accident, insurance companies have an easy time dismissing these injuries as not being sustained from the accident. 

In more extreme cases, victims of car accidents can suffer catastrophic injuries and have their life altered immediately, both physically and emotionally. Sadly, these people will need to adjust to a challenging life-style including physical/mental limitations, all which requires the financial compensation of the insurance companies to support.  

Insurance claims are usually a challenge, even with the smallest claims. Insurance companies may make you feel overwhelmed with procedures and documentation, delaying you from getting the help you need to recover. Not to mention, any statement of ‘feeling okay’ will be used by your insurance company in an attempt to prove that your injuries are not a result of the accident sustained. This challenge can be avoided by talking to a lawyer from Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers immediately following a car accident to set up the proper documentation and note keeping. In doing so, you will be protected from known tactics that insurance companies often employ to limit (or deny) the amount they need to payout. 

If you have been in a car accident, contact the car accident lawyers at Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers today. Call 905-522-9799 and get a free consultation.

After you've been in a car accident there are several things that you need to be aware of to ensure that you are protecting yourself.

• Talking to the other driver’s insurance 

• • Do not talk to the other driver's insurance company, or insurance adjuster. The job of their insurance adjuster is to reduce the insurance company's financial responsibility.  

• • Insurance adjusters will typically call or contact the victims of car accidents and ask questions to try and trap you into admitting fault or sharing fault of an accident, reducing the amount of insurance that will be paid out. 
  • There is no positive outcome to speaking with the other driver’s insurance company or adjustor.  

• Social Media Usage 

• • Avoid social media if you are suffering from your injuries. 
  • Do not post videos or photos of yourself undertaking movements such as dancing, exercising, yoga, etc. even if they do not cause pain. Insurance companies are known to use content like this to minimize the seriousness of your injuries. 
  • Be aware of any random people that start to follow your social media channels after an accident; it could very well be an investigator or a representative of the insurance company keeping tabs on you and your activities.

• Use of painkillers, alcohol, or cannabis.

• • Do not go out for drinks at the pub, and try to refrain from any alcohol, cannabis, or painkillers.
  • Depending on your claim, insurance companies may try to shift the blame onto by saying you are abusing these substances. For example, an insurance company may take photos of your recycling bin full of empties or take photos of you returning cases of empty beer bottles, trying to paint you as someone who drinks too much, which may be a major factor in your current health condition.

Following a car accident in Ontario, there are two types of compensation available to the injured. 

1) No-fault Accident Benefits 

These benefits are available whether you are at fault or not. No-fault accident benefits are claimed through your own car insurance company. In the case that you don’t have insurance, claims can be made against any other vehicle that is involved in the accident. An example is if you are hit by a car while riding a bicycle. 

2) Lawsuits 

A lawsuit can be brought forward against the at-fault person involved in the accident. This lawsuit will be handled by the at-fault person’s insurance company and will need to pay if it is proven that their client was in the wrong. These types of lawsuits are often settled out of court through a financial settlement, however more recently insurance companies are willing to go to court if the victim’s lawyers are seen as weak or inexperienced.  

For over 40 years, Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers have helped victims involved in car accidents. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident because of someone's negligence, contact us.

Car insurance in Ontario operates under a “no-fault” insurance system that is routinely misunderstood. This means that your own insurance company pays for your lost wages, your medical costs and other out-of-pocket expenses, regardless of who is at fault. Laws like these are designed to ensure that your medical costs will be covered in a car accident. However, they also create incentives for your insurance company to withhold extra benefits that may help you recover after a crash.

It’s important to hire a car accident lawyer as soon as possible after a car crash. The sooner you have an experienced and competent legal team on your side, the better your chances of building a solid case. Additionally, new laws governing car accident compensation may affect your legal claim, and our lawyers can see to it that these laws are followed.