Kingston Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Coping with the aftermath of a serious car accident can be overwhelming. These accidents can result in a range of injuries, from mild to catastrophic.

Catastrophic injuries can have profound impacts on a motor vehicle accident survivor’s entire quality of life and the lives of their loved ones. Facing permanent impairments, emotional trauma, and steep, ongoing costs for essential services and treatments, catastrophically injured accident victims may feel the after-effects of their collisions for the rest of their lives.

According to Ontario’s Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS), all auto insurance plans must include accident benefits coverage to provide crucial financial support to injured victims of motor vehicle accidents. In accordance with this legislation, the mandatory coverage that must be included in all provincial insurance policies should be allocated based on the severity of the injuries sustained.

Due to the pervasive, ongoing, and all-encompassing nature of catastrophic impairments, motor vehicle collision survivors who have sustained at least one of the following outcomes as a result of their accident should be entitled to the highest tier of accident benefits:

• 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

These catastrophic injuries can have a profound impact on a survivor’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being. To account for this, the SABS mandates that catastrophically impaired accident victims should be entitled to significantly higher accident benefits compared to those with less severe injuries.

According to the SABS, all basic auto insurance plans must include the following mandatory minimum provisions for no-fault accident benefits:

• Minor injuries: $3,500 in medical and rehabilitation benefits
• Non-minor, non-catastrophic injuries: $65,000 for the combined total costs of medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits over 5 years
• Catastrophic injuries: $1 million in combined medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits for life

However, insurance companies often deny or dispute these claims, despite evidence and medical opinions from healthcare providers supporting them. Insurers may find reasons to scrutinize, dispute, or even deny accident benefits claims outright. Additionally, they may offer unfairly low settlement amounts to catastrophically impaired accident survivors, putting pressure on them to accept these inadequate offers rather than navigating complex negotiations, mediations, and legal processes.

Dealing with insurance companies can exacerbate the stress and hardship already faced by catastrophically injured car accident survivors. The challenges of navigating the insurance claims process on top of coping with life-changing injuries can be overwhelming. However, our Kingston catastrophic injury lawyers may be able to help.

Our catastrophic injury lawyers serving Kingston understand the difficulties faced by accident survivors dealing with insurance companies, and we are committed to helping injured members of our community receive fair coverage and treatment from their insurance providers. To learn more about working with our Kingston catastrophic injury lawyers, contact us today and book your free initial consultation.

Do Not Hesitate – Book Your Free Initial Consultation Today

If you have sustained catastrophic impairments as a result of a motor vehicle collision, it is crucial not to hesitate in seeking legal assistance. Contact our catastrophic injury lawyers serving Kingston today for a free initial consultation.

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