Do you know how to prepare yourself after a car accident from a legal perspective? Personal Injury Lawyer Toronto GTA gives you some legal pointers on how to maximize your compensation. For more information, visit Personal Injury Lawyer Toronto GTA, 1 Yonge Street #1801, Toronto, ON M5E 1W7 (647) 693-9486
2. Introduction
Even though cars are getting safer and safer (with airbags, anti-
lock braking systems, traction control, and so on), automobile
accidents still wreck the lives of thousands of people each
year. If you or one of your relatives have/has been the victim of
such a twist of fate, you ought to know that in most cases
you're entitled to compensation.
In this presentation, we will list
different scenarios that can (and
should) lead to a claim on your
part.
3. Personal Injury
In the field of personal injury (of which car accidents are a
specific subcategory), one of the most deciding factors
pertains to the degree of damage that the victim sustained. In
short, the greater the injury, the larger should be the
compensation and the more likely it will be to lead to a
showdown in court.
For accidents that only incurred minimal damage, an agreement
can usually be reached with insurance companies.
4. Negligence & Carelessness
Amongst the different causes of
accident where fault can be proven,
negligence occupies a central spot.
It encompasses all harmful behaviors
that directly led to the injuries, and
which could have been avoided.
Whether it be driving under the influence,
driving while talking on your cell phone or
simply not abiding to the highway code, any
person who didn't behave as a responsible
driver should, can be held accountable.
5. Negligence & Carelessness
This group can be further divided into different categories
depending on whether the accident arose from an active or
passive fault on the driver's part.
When a driver runs a redlight or street races and hits your car,
he will have to answer to significantly higher charges than when
he just omitted to look to his right, for example. Following this,
simple negligence has to be distinguished from
recklessness and intentional misconduct.
6. External Causes
In some cases, fault can be harder to
prove as it does not entirely rest in the
guilty party's hands (with some instances
where the fault is even totally out of his
reach). From poor road conditions to bad
weather and mechanical failure, the cause
of the accident is not always "someone's
fault"... It doesn't mean you can't be
compensated for your hardships, though.
From the moment you sustain an injury, the law is
clear: you have the right to receive benefits for not
only your pain but also any loss of income that may
follow.
7. Specific Issues
If fault can easily be determined when negligence or external
factors are in play, there are however some instances where it
can get quite complicated. Hit-and-Runs represent a telling
example. Who to charge if the culprit fled the scene?
Also, when a pedestrian or a bike is involved, often with dramatic
consequences, how to go about securing a deal?
When you've fallen prey to such a disaster, the help of
an experienced personal injury lawyer can prove to
be even more valuable as insurance companies might
try to downplay their role.
8. Conclusion
Even if you're a responsible
driver who's doing everything in
his power to avoid accidents,
you can only control that much.
Unfortunately, you're never
totally safe from other people.
In case you were amongst the macabre statistics
of this year, you need to take the bull by the horns
so as to avoid becoming a victim for a second
time at the hands of insurance companies. You
have rights... Make sure that they're respected,
and defended if need be.
9. Need more information or advice on
personal injury matters? Visit the experts at:
http://www.personalinjurylawyertorongta.ca/
10. Need more information or advice on
personal injury matters? Visit the experts at:
http://www.personalinjurylawyertorongta.ca/