Arnprior Catastrophic injury Lawyers
If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident in Arnprior and sustained injuries as a result, it is important to understand your rights, as well as the insurance coverage that should be available to you. All basic auto insurance plans in Ontario are required to provide injured accident survivors with no-fault accident benefits. Even if your own actions behind the wheel caused the collision to occur, if you were hurt in the accident, you should be able to collect accident benefits to offset the costs of your resulting injuries.
The amount of accident benefits that should be available to you is determined by the province’s Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) and are based on the severity of the injuries you sustained as a result of your accident. While some insurance policyholders may opt into plans with higher levels of coverage, all basic auto insurance plans in Ontario include the following mandatory minimum amounts of accident benefits:
- $3,500 in medical and rehabilitation benefits for accident victims who sustained minor injuries
- $65,000 over 5 years for the combined total costs of medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits for accident victims who sustained non-minor, non-catastrophic injuries
- $1 million for life in combined medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits for accident victims who sustained catastrophic injuries
If your injuries meet the threshold of catastrophic impairment, you should be eligible for significantly higher accident benefits than injured collision survivors with less severe injuries. Several factors are considered when determining an injured accident survivor’s eligibility for these higher benefits amounts. The SABS defines the term “catastrophic impairment” as accident-related injuries resulting in at least one of the following:
- Paraplegia or Tetraplegia
- Severe impairment of ambulatory mobility or use of an arm; or Amputation
- Loss of Vision of Both Eyes
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) meeting the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) criteria
- Physical Impairment or Combination of Physical Impairments (which results in 55% or more of whole person)
- Mental or Behavioural Impairment (excluding Traumatic Brain Injury) Combined with a Physical Impairment (which results in 55% or more impairment of the whole person)
- Marked impairment in three or more areas of function that precludes useful functioning; or an Extreme impairment in one or more areas of functioning due to mental or behavioural disorder
If your injuries meet the criteria for catastrophic impairment, your healthcare provider must complete an OCF-19 form, which provides detailed information about your injuries and the functional impairments they have caused. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, insurance providers may dispute whether an applicant’s injuries meet the threshold of catastrophic impairment.
If an insurance provider disputes whether your injuries meet the threshold of catastrophic impairment, you may benefit by consulting with our Arnprior catastrophic injury lawyers. If your insurance company offered you an unfairly low settlement amount that is not commensurate with the severity of the injuries you suffered, or if they denied your claim for accident benefits outright, it may be necessary to take legal action to recover the coverage you are rightfully owed. To learn more about working with our catastrophic injury lawyers serving Arnprior, contact us today and take advantage of a personalized, case-specific, cost-free initial consultation.
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Our Arnprior catastrophic injury lawyers are familiar with the unfair tactics often used by insurance providers to justify providing less coverage than what permanently impaired accident victims truly deserve. By working with our catastrophic injury lawyers serving Arnprior, you may be able to recover the accident benefits you are rightfully owed. To review your case with our Arnprior catastrophic injury lawyers today, call Preszler Injury Lawyers and schedule your free initial consultation.
