Category: Personal injury lawyers

How long do I have to make a claim or sue for compensation?

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Personal injury lawyers understand that when it comes to making a claim, timing is very important. Once an accident occurs, you have one week to notify your insurance company that you will be making a claim. Once you receive the benefit forms from your insurance company, you have 30 days to fill them out and submit them. If you intend to sue the at fault party, you have 120 days after the accident to let them know that you will be suing. While there are a few exceptions, you generally have two years to start the suit of the at fault party for damages for your injuries.

Contacting Personal Injury Lawyers

If you are injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, it is important to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Even if you don’t think legal action is needed, it is always a smart idea to speak with an expert who can let you know what your rights are and what you should be expecting in terms of fair compensation.

You’ll also want to know from whom you may receive compensation. Most often, compensation comes from insurance companies for the involved parties, but your personal injury lawyer may be able to identify other liable parties that you had not considered, from whom you may also be able to receive compensation.

At Clarke Law, we understand that getting to a law office may not be your first priority when you are dealing with an injury. Doing so may even be very difficult for you if not impossible depending on the extent of your injuries. That’s why our injury lawyers are willing to consult with you either in your home or at the hospital in order to make it easier for you. We also have offices located in Mississauga and Whitby in order to better serve potential clients who live further afield.

The Nature of Injuries

Sometimes the full impact of an injury may not be realized for weeks, months or even longer. This fact is part of the reason that victims have up to two years to file a claim. But because the full impact of injuries may not be realized right away, it is also important that a personal injury lawyer review any offers that are made to you in order to ensure that that you are not cheated out of any compensation that you may deserve and need.

Just as the physical impact of injuries is not always apparent, neither is the financial impact. You may expect to require in home care for a few weeks and have it end up being a few months. You may think at first that you don’t need help with childcare or housekeeping only to realize later, that some tasks are just too difficult or painful while you are recovering.

Injury lawyers have seen hundreds of cases that are similar to yours. They know from experience what their clients might reasonably expect to need over the course of their recovery.

If you’ve been hurt in an accident, it is strongly advisable to speak with an injury lawyer to determine whether bringing a claim is advisable. If it is, your lawyer will help to ensure that all the necessary steps are taken within the proper timeframe.

What qualifications should I look for or what questions should I ask to know whether I am getting the best personal injury lawyer in Toronto?

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If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence, you need to get fairly compensated in order to ensure that a financial burden is not added to the physical burden that you already have. It is important to find the best personal injury lawyer in Toronto for your particular case.

In order to find the best personal injury lawyer in Toronto, you should be looking for lawyers who have success in litigating cases such as your own. Some personal injury lawyers specialize in certain types of accidents and injuries, so finding a lawyer who is familiar with your kind of case will be in your best interest.

Qualifications

Of course, your personal injury lawyer needs to be a member in good standing with the Law Society of Upper Canada, the body which governs and regulates all lawyers and paralegals in Ontario. All of the lawyer’s qualifications will be listed on the firm’s website. Be sure to find a reputable firm that is able to handle your needs.

To help you find the personal injury lawyer for you, you should ask questions about similar cases to your own that have been won recently. You should ask:

  • What range of awards is given in cases like mine? (Car accident, slip and fall, etc.)
  • Have you sued this company/insurance company successfully in the past?
  • What can I expect from this whole process?
  • How long, on average, does this process take?
  • Is my case worth the time it will take to litigate it?

While there are many other questions you will want to ask once you have secured a lawyer, these are some of the questions that will help you determine who is the best personal injury lawyer for your situation.

Comfort Level

On average, personal injury cases take around two to three years before a settlement or a court award is reached. Some take less and some take more. The point, however, is that when you hire a personal injury lawyer, it is usually a long term relationship.

You will be sharing very personal information with your lawyer including medical and financial information. It is important that you have a lawyer that you feel comfortable with.

The lawyer you choose should give you realistic and honest answers to your questions. Sometimes the answers will be hard to hear, and not what you are expecting, but it is important that your lawyer is truthful with you in all matters.

Referrals from Satisfied Customers

As with most professionals, to find the best ones you should look for referrals from satisfied customers. Finding the best personal injury lawyer for you may involve reading testimonials on their website, Google +, LinkedIn profiles or from other review sites.

When a personal injury lawyer does a great job for their clients, they will have clients that will want to let others know about it.

If you’d like to find out whether one of the lawyers at Clarke Law is the best personal injury lawyer for you, give us a call to set up a free no-obligation consultation. Finding the right fit will help to make the process much easier for you as you may be working with this individual for quite some time in helping you get fair compensation.

What if I can’t afford a personal injury lawyer?

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If you’ve suffered a serious personal injury, chances are you are already feeling the financial sting of lost income and medical expenses. Perhaps you think that you could benefit from the services of a personal injury lawyer but don’t think that you can afford the expense. The good news is that paying a personal injury lawyer is a lot easier than you probably think it is.

Free No-Obligation Consultation

If you’ve been injured in an accident, it is strongly advised that you speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. We understand that you may have doubts about the process and whether or not you should pursue legal action. That’s why at Clarke Law, we offer initial free no obligation consultations. Even if you decide not to go forward with us but at least you can rest easy knowing that you explored the option.

Costs for Proceeding

After the initial consultation you may decide that you’d like to pursue legal action. But again, we understand that because of your injury, you may already be under significant financial strain. Because of this, Clarke Law does not require payment from you until we have obtained compensation for you. We work on a contingency fee agreement with our clients, which means that we obtain our fee from a percentage of your court award or out-of-court settlement. In other words, you pay when you win your case.

The final cost of your legal representation is based on a percentage of your total winnings (usually about 25 percent). This contract will be negotiated at the beginning of your relationship with your lawyer, so that you know exactly how much you will have to pay, based on how much you are awarded in the end.

Personal injury lawyers understand that the time following an accident can be devastating, both emotionally and financially, and we are sympathetic to that. We want to make the process of bringing a claim as straightforward as possible for you, because there are so many other challenges going on in your life. Dealing with your lawyer should not be one of those challenges.

The Cost of Not Working with a Lawyer

Many accident victims who decide to proceed with a claim without a lawyer have not truly considered what the cost of not working with a lawyer is. When you try to negotiate with insurance companies or at fault parties on your own, you are at a disadvantage.

Chances are, you do not know all of your rights or how much compensation to which you should be entitled. Without the help of an experienced professional, you could be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars, maybe more.

Not being able to afford legal fees up front should not deter you from hiring a personal injury lawyer, especially since you can enter into a contingency fee agreement. Because you are so much more likely to receive a healthy award with the help of a lawyer, it only makes sense that you shouldn’t have to pay until you have that award. As one of the preferred personal injury lawyers in Toronto, we can and will work with you until that is accomplished before we require any compensation ourselves.

Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer

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Question: What kind of compensation can I get if I hire a personal injury lawyer?

If you’re considering hiring a Toronto personal injury lawyer, you may be wondering if it is worth going through the hassle of legal action. After all, how much compensation would you really be able to get? It is more than the insurance company already offering you?

In fact, it is very difficult for most people to know if they are being offered fair compensation by the insurance company. Your Toronto personal injury lawyer at Clarke Law can add value to your case by at least letting you know if you are getting a fair offer.

Question: How much compensation can I get?

In Toronto, the amount of compensation you receive is limited by legislation and case law. For Accident Benefits claims, the limits to compensation are set out in the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule and are meant to cover your immediate medical and rehabilitation needs. In Tort (Court Actions), it is limited by the categories of your losses, previous case law decisions, and the Supreme Court of Canada decision on pain and suffering awards. The amount you may be entitled to is based on many factors and therefore, it is difficult to assess how much a claim could potentially be worth without getting as many details as possible in an initial interview. This is why it is important to bring as many documents for your first interview as possible. Your personal injury lawyer will let you know how many other documents need to be collected and requested from various agencies and companies. It is a long process but a necessary one.

The compensation you may receive will depend largely on the details of your case (action) meticulously prepared by your lawyers. The amounts of compensation can vary immensely, but hiring the right personal injury lawyer is the first step to securing the recompense you deserve.

Question: What factors are involved in calculating compensation?

There is a lot that goes into determining what fair compensation is for an injured person. To determine compensation, it is important to have a proper diagnosis from a doctor. Your lawyer will also collect details about your life, income, hobbies, family, and friends in order to get an idea of how your injury affected your life and your finances.

Being injured and having post-accident limitations can have a huge financial impact both on the victim and on their family. Not only are there medical expenses to be considered, but there can be lost income as well as other expenses such caregiving, attendant care services, and housekeeping.

The economic opportunities lost as a direct result of your injury will be considered. Essentially, the compensation you receive will be based on how much the injury has prevented you from carrying on with your normal life, and how much you will need to sustain you in the absence of your regular income.

Your personal injury lawyer can help you understand what kinds of results are relevant to your case, based on the details, as every case is different. Hiring a lawyer is crucial in obtaining a fair award.

What happens if my insurance company denies my claim?

If your injury lawyer believes they have a case against the insurance company, they will fight to get you the benefits that you are entitled to.

If your insurance company denies benefits such as physiotherapy or reimbursement for medical expenses, do not let that stop you from seeking legal action. If you have an injury that was caused because of someone else’s negligence, it is critical to your financial security that you get the help you need.

If your case is settled out of court, your settlement will also reflect the economic losses and opportunities factored into a court’s decision. This decision, however, will be made between you and the insurance company of the party at fault, with the advice of both sides’ lawyers. Since personal injury lawyers see so many of these cases every year, your lawyer can help you obtain an award that is fairer than you might be able to negotiate on your own.

 

 

 

What exactly do personal injury lawyers do?

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If you were injured in an accident, a personal injury lawyer can help you get the results you deserve. In many cases, hiring a personal injury lawyer will give you the best chance of being adequately compensated for your injury.

Whether it’s a physical, psychological, or neurological injury, the days and weeks after an accident that caused an injury can be difficult and confusing. Your injury might be the result of a car accident, or a slip and fall, but in most cases, a personal injury lawyer can help you. You may be dealing with medical appointments and bills; you’re probably making and receiving calls to and from insurance companies, and even other parties involved in the accident. Hiring a lawyer may seem like one more call to make, but it can actually make your life a lot easier. Personal injury lawyers know the ins and outs of how to deal with these things, and can advise you on throughout the entire process of a claim.

In addition to helping you get compensated, your lawyer may perform a variety of other services for you. Each case is unique and therefore what a lawyer does for each of their clients will vary somewhat. In general however, the follow are some of the tasks your lawyer might perform for you.

Assessing the Situation

Personal injury lawyers at Clarke Law can help you determine who is at fault for your injury, and how they can be found liable.

You may not know your rights, or how much compensation you may be able to recover, but a lawyer can help you figure out what type of case you have. If you haven’t been through it before, you might not know what to expect from the process, but your lawyer will explain how it all works and help you to understand the timelines, as well what kind of results you should anticipate.

Protection and Sound Advice

A personal injury lawyer at Clarke Law can ensure you don’t do anything to jeopardize your case, and work towards the best possible result for your claim. Your lawyer will advise you on legal and ethical issues regarding your injury and accident, providing you with information you might not be able to access anywhere else.

Paperwork, Forms and Evidence

By having a personal injury lawyer on your side, all of the relevant evidence will be gathered, the paperwork will be handled, and the witnesses will be interviewed. There is usually a two-year limitation from the date of your accident to bring a tort claim against the negligent party. This means the sooner you hire a lawyer, the better. Whether your case goes to trial or is settled out of court, having the peace of mind that a lawyer provides is invaluable.

Personal injury lawyers at Clarke Law fight for your rights. By assessing your case and determining the best way to pursue results, your lawyers will make sure you are compensated with dignity.

If you would like to know how a personal injury lawyer at Clarke Law might be able to serve you, contact Clarke Law Personal Injury Lawyers at 416-214-0043. The initial consultation is free of charge, and there is no obligation to move forward with us if you decide you do not wish to proceed.