What I Wish I Knew Before I Started my Injury Case

Having served 1000’s of personal injury clients in Eastern Ontario, we have seen many local injury victims experience the legal system, and the accident benefit system in Ontario.  Today we outline 5 tips we’ve garnered from hearing their stories.

• I wish I had checked in with my doctor more often in the first 6 months post-collision

Many of our clients seek medical help right after the collision, but then pursue physio or chiro treatments for many months without checking in with their family doctors.  If you are improving with treatment, this may be fine.  However, if you are not improving, getting worse or — most importantly– experiencing new symptoms, you should check in with your family doctor to report the symptoms and seek guidance.  Maybe it’s time to seek the assistance of a specialist or a different type of therapy.

• I wish I had kept receipts of my injury-related expenses before I hired a personal injury lawyer

After a collision, you might need to hire housekeeping assistance or pay for parking or take taxis to accommodate your injuries.  In some cases, the expenses our clients pay that are not covered by accident benefits are significant.  It becomes harder (not necessarily impossible) to recover those expenses from the defendant in a law suit without receipts.

• I wish I had known the government could change the rules part way through my case

If you have had a collision in the last 5 years, the laws impacting the amount of compensation available to you have changed several times.  What is unusual about some of the changes is that the government and the courts decided that those changes would be retroactive.  They applied even if your case was already in the system.  “No Grandfathering.”  When the rules change, it can be challenging to predict what the outcome of a case may be.

• I wish I had known that I could choose my own treatment providers

Shortly after a collision, your insurance adjuster may recommend a “preferred” physiotherapist.  We’re told that many clients feel like it “almost” mandatory to attend the adjuster’s recommended provider.  In fact, you can attend any licensed therapy providers who accept motor vehicle cases.

• I wish I had kept track of lost business opportunities before I hired a personal injury lawyer

For people who are self-employed, or who work on commission, lost income is more complicated to claim than for salaried employees.  How do you measure the loss of real estate clients because you can’t hustle or carpentry jobs that you decline because you can’t take on heavy jobs during your recovery.  Carefully recording networking events missed, or clients declined or referred can make a big difference to the amount of compensation you recover.

Avoid wishful thinking by hiring an injury lawyer immediately after your motor vehicle collision.  In Ottawa and Eastern Ontario the personal injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth are pleased to turn questions into answers and wishes into reality.  Contact us today to see if you qualify for a free, no-obligation consultation.  Call 613 233-4529.