Ontario Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers
The province’s roads and highways can be treacherous. Operating a motor vehicle, traveling in one as a passenger, cycling, even walking down the sidewalk or crossing the street can have disastrous, life-changing consequences.
Accidents can happen to anyone at any time. Even the most cautious, responsible, attentive Ontarian can be involved in a severe collision. When distracted, inebriated, reckless, inconsiderate, or otherwise negligent drivers take to the road, even the most safety-conscious road-user could be seriously injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident.
Motor vehicle accidents frequently occur when you least expect them. Normal, everyday activities like commuting to work, dropping the kids off at school, or visiting family members can turn into a traumatizing experience with lifelong consequences. Injured victims of motor vehicle accidents in Ontario are often faced with enormous challenges, including physical rehabilitation, emotional distress, and financial instability.
Sustaining injuries in a motor vehicle collision can impact all areas of an accident victim’s life. In Ontario, motor vehicle accidents often cause the people involved to sustain a number of injuries, ranging in severity from moderate to catastrophic. These injuries often include:
- Broken or fractured bones
- Cuts and lacerations
- Strains and sprains
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Facial and dental injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations
- And more
If the injuries you sustained in a motor vehicle collision caused you to incur financial losses, you might be entitled to compensation. To learn more, contact Preszler Injury Lawyers and take advantage of a free initial consultation with our Ontario motor vehicle accident lawyers.
Statutory Accident Benefits
In accordance with Ontario’s Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, the owners and lessees of motor vehicles must have insurance for their vehicles in order to legally operate them throughout the province. All motor vehicle insurance policies in the province must provide Statutory Accident Benefits coverage.
Statutory Accident Benefits are designed to help injured victims of motor vehicle collisions offset the costs they have incurred as a result of the injuries they sustained. No matter which motor vehicle operator was responsible for causing their collision, if they sustained compensable injuries, because of their Statutory Accident Benefits coverage, some of their costs might be covered by their insurance policies. These costs might include:
- Medical expenses
- Ambulance bills
- Medical equipment
- Prescriptions
- Mobility aids
- Physiotherapy
- Chiropractic sessions
- Massage therapy
- Strength-training exercise programs
- Psychological counselling
- Home modifications to accommodate acquired disabilities
- Mileage expenses for trips to and from medical appointments
- And possibly more
Motor vehicle liability insurance plans may provide some degree of compensation to injured victims of collisions. However, depending on the severity of the injuries they have sustained and the impacts they have had on an accident survivor’s overall quality of life, the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule may not provide sufficient support to cover their total damages.
The financial impact of collision-related injuries can be overwhelming, especially if an accident survivor’s newly acquired medical condition makes it impossible for them to continue performing the duties of their job. Injured accident survivors frequently find themselves struggling to make ends meet. Unable to earn their regular salaries, injured accident victims often struggle to support both their newly accumulated medical expenses and their regular costs of living.
Our motor vehicle accident lawyers serving Ontario believe that no one should be forced to pay the price of someone else’s negligence. If your compensable injuries were the result of an accident caused by a negligent driver, our Ontario motor vehicle accident lawyers may be able to fight on your behalf to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Pursuing Compensation from Negligent Drivers
According to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, people who operate motor vehicles on the province’s roads and highways are compelled, by law, to do so in a reasonably cautious manner and to obey local traffic rules. Failing to do so can endanger the lives of other road-users. All drivers have a legal obligation to take the personal safety of others into consideration when operating their motor vehicles. In other words, all motor vehicle operators owe a duty of care to other road-users.
Unfortunately, through a number of wrongful actions, inactions, errors, or violations of traffic ordinances, motor vehicle operators often fail to fulfill their duties of care. When a driver’s wrongful behaviour on the road causes an accident in which someone else sustains compensable injuries, the at-fault driver might be considered negligent. If so, they might be responsible for financially compensating the accident victim who was injured as a result of their unlawful conduct.
In many jurisdictions across Ontario, distracted driving is now the leading cause of fatal motor vehicle collisions. The term “distracted driving” encompasses a wide range of actions, including eating while operating the vehicle, changing the radio station, programming the GPS system, conversing with passengers, or any other behaviour that steals a driver’s focus from the road. However, the most common cause of serious motor vehicle collisions in Ontario is cell phone use behind the wheel. Because of distracted drivers on the province’s roads, on average, one Ontarian is injured in a collision every half-hour.
Other examples of driver negligence that frequently result in injurious motor vehicle accidents throughout Ontario include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
- Speeding
- Improperly changing lanes
- Reckless driving
- Ignoring traffic signs/signals
- And more
If your accident was the result of another motor vehicle operator’s negligence, you might be entitled to compensation. By working with our Ontario motor vehicle accident lawyers, you may be able to file a civil claim against the at-fault driver whose negligent actions on the road led to your injurious collision. If you are eligible to pursue a claim, our motor vehicle accident lawyers serving all of Ontario may be able to help you recover damages you have incurred as a result of the injuries you sustained, as well as damages you are certain to incur in the future.
Contact Preszler Injury Lawyers Today
No one expects to be injured in a motor vehicle accident, and few people are prepared for the substantial financial repercussions of sustaining serious injuries. At Preszler Injury Lawyers, our Ontario motor vehicle accident lawyers know you have questions. We are standing by to answer them.
Our motor vehicle accident lawyers serving Ontario offer all prospective clients a free initial consultation. Even if you are unsure whether you might be entitled to compensation, consider taking advantage of a cost-free, no-obligation first meeting with our Ontario motor vehicle accident lawyers. During this free initial consultation, you will have the chance to talk about your accident and receive personalized, case-specific legal advice about options for financial recovery that might be available to you.
To learn more, schedule your free initial consultation with our Ontario motor vehicle accident lawyers today. Call us today to learn how Preszler Injury Lawyers might be able to help.