Questions at Examination for Discovery in Ontario

Are you going to be examined for discovery in a car accident case in Ontario?  Here are some topics you will likely be asked about by the lawyer for the at fault driver’s insurance company:

Your Background:

  • Your name
  • Address
  • Education
  • Marital / Family Status

Your Home:

  • The layout of your home
  • Number of bedrooms
  • Number of bathrooms
  • Size of your lot
  • Number of stairs
  • Location of the laundry
  • Number and size of gardens
  • Who cleaned the house before the accident
  • Who cleans the house after the accident
  • Details about any limitations in housekeeping and home maintenance

Your Injuries

  • Head to toe, identify all the body parts that were hurt in the accident
  • Details about the prognosis of each injury
  • Details about how each injury has improved or not since the accident
  • Details about what medical professionals have said about the injuries
  • Any planned surgeries
  • Details of any psychological / emotional injuries
  • Steps you have taken to get better
  • All therapies under taken
  • Medications since the accident
  • Specialists seen since the accident and what they have said
  • Description of the pain experienced since the accident

 The Accident

  • Details about the vehicle you were in / bike you were on
  • Where were you going?
  • What route did you take?
  • Were you familiar with the route?
  • Were you distracted in the vehicle?
  • Were you wearing your seatbelt?
  • When did you first see the other vehicle?
  • What did you see?
  • What did you do?
  • What part of your body made contact with the inside of the car, if any?
  • Did you hit your head?
  • How far did your car move at impact?
  • Speed at impact?
  • Details about lighting, weather, visibility, road condition
  • Damage to the vehicles
  • Statements given to police
  • On site first aid received

Loss of Income / Loss of Competitive Advantage

  • Details about your employment history over past 10 years
  • Job at the time of the accident, including duties, physical requirements, salary, benefits, performance review, raise history
  • Time lost from work after the accident
  • Details of return to work
  • Description of any current limitations at work

While this is not a comprehensive list, being able to answer these questions confidently and accurately will take you a long way in your discovery preparation.

For more information about the steps in a personal injury law suit, contact a personal injury lawyer at Auger Hollingsworth at 613 233-4529.

About the Author: Brenda Hollingsworth

Brenda Hollingsworth co-founded Ottawa’s Auger Hollingsworth in 2005 with her husband Richard Auger. Together, their mission was to create a personal injury law firm for Eastern Ontario that is unrivalled in the province for customer service and legal expertise. Brenda was named an Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under 40 award recipient and took home the Women’s Business Network’s Businesswoman of the Year award in the Professional category. She was also recognized as one of Ottawa Life Magazine’s “Top 50 People in the Capital.” She is often quoted as an expert and has appeared in media outlets such as CTV, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Sun Media, CBC, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, CFRA and many legal publications.

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