Hawkesbury Catastrophic injury Lawyers
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident that leaves you with catastrophic injuries can feel overwhelming. The impact of such a traumatic event can affect every aspect of your life, from your physical abilities to your mental health.
Unfortunately, in addition to all of those challenges, the ongoing financial strain of coping with severe and permanent injuries and the costly expenses associated with them only increase the stress and anxiety of an already challenging experience. Many catastrophically impaired survivors of motor vehicle collisions struggle to afford the costs of important services that are essential for their long-term physical and psychological well-being, such as medical expenses, rehabilitative treatments, and attendant care.
Fortunately, in Ontario, injured survivors of motor vehicle collisions can submit a claim for accident benefits, a form of insurance coverage intended to offset the costs of certain financial losses incurred in response to the injuries caused by the accident. These benefits are designed to provide financial relief and security to drivers, passengers, motorcycle riders, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road-users who sustained injuries as the result of a collision, regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
The amount of accident benefits you may be eligible for depends on the severity of your injuries, as mandated in Ontario’s Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS). The following are the prescribed amounts that must be included in all auto plans provincewide:
- $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
Since the amount of accident benefits available to catastrophically impaired accident victims is substantially higher, the SABS provides specific qualifying criteria for this tier of benefits coverage. According to the SABS, you may be considered catastrophically impaired if you have sustained at least one of the following criteria:
- 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
Sadly, insurance companies do not always provide fair and adequate coverage to catastrophically impaired benefits claimants. Often, they will not take the severity of the claimant’s injuries into account, dispute their physicians’ medical assessments and opinions, or try asserting that accident-related impairments were, indeed, caused by pre-existing conditions. These are only some of the unfair tactics insurance companies employ to withhold or delay the payment of fair accident benefits.
If your insurer is trying to coerce or pressure you into accepting a settlement amount lower than what you are entitled to, consider scheduling a free initial consultation with our Hawkesbury catastrophic injury lawyers. Our catastrophic injury lawyers serving Hawkesbury are committed to advocating for the rights of injured accident survivors in the region and helping them obtain the compensation they deserve. To learn more, book a free initial consultation with our Hawkesbury catastrophic injury lawyers by contacting us today.
Call Today for Your Free Initial Consultation
To discuss your case with our catastrophic injury lawyers serving Hawkesbury and receive personalized guidance, contact us today and take advantage of our free initial consultation. During this cost-free, no-obligation first meeting, you can receive case-specific feedback about courses of action you may be able to pursue to get the compensation you deserve. Call us today!
