Finding an Ottawa personal injury lawyer in the wake of your Ontario car accident can be a daunting task. After all, putting the outcome of your personal injury case in someone else’s hands requires a lot of trust and faith that the result will be in your best interest. Still, anyone considering handling their case on their own should give serious thought to the benefits a seasoned lawyer can provide before, during and after their personal injury case.

Compensation

An experienced lawyer knows all the when, what’s and how much’s involved in determining how you should be compensated for your injury. Timing is important, as even though you may be under financial strain, settling your case too soon may result in a settlement  not in your favor. Seemingly minor injuries can become major, treatment options can change and long-term effects may not show up until some time has passed. In the meantime, pressure from your insurance company and bill collectors can make you feel obligated to settle before it is time. A personal injury lawyer can tell you when it is time to settle, how much you’re reasonably entitled to and who owes you for your time and trouble.

Having an Advocate

If you are considering hiring an Ottawa personal injury lawyer, chances are you’re suffering from physical, psychological or emotional injuries that interfere with your ability to function on a day-to-day basis as you normally do. Dealing with the many people involved with an accident claim can be confusing and exhausting when healthy, let alone while you’re trying to recover. Hiring a personal injury lawyer means they will field the calls and coordinate communication between medical providers, insurance companies, etc., so you won’t have to. At a time when you can feel very alone, a lawyer can be your support system.

Experience is Crucial

Hopefully, you will only be in one accident in your lifetime, whereas personal injury lawyers have seen dozens if not hundreds of similar cases through from the very beginning to a favorable end. They know what to reasonably expect in terms of compensation, what evidence a court will expect in order to prove your case and can prevent you from making medical, personal or legal mistakes that could drastically affect the outcome of your case.

They Don’t Get Paid Unless You Do

If you’re concerned about paying attorneys fees, consider that most personal injury lawyers work on contingency, meaning they don’t get paid unless they recover damages for you. Even then, most lawyers have contracts that entitle them to only 30-33% of the total financial reward. In addition, statistics show that the average increase in financial compensation awarded in cases where the victim has hired a lawyer more than covers the fee that lawyer will charge. The bottom line? Hiring a lawyer is a low risk decision, and the compensation they will get you more than justifies the fees you’ll pay out.

If you are considering hiring a lawyer for your personal injury case, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth to schedule a free consultation.  We will provide you with the information you need to make a decision about the representation right for you.  Call our law firm today 613 233-4529.

In the days and weeks following your Ontario car accident, you may have questions about your injuries and the tests recommended by your doctor. Though experts have a series of tests they use to diagnosis patients based on the symptoms and complaints they present with, sometimes we are the best experts when it comes to our own bodies. We know what feels normal to us, and after a trauma like an accident, we may have the best insight into a continuing or developing problem. If you suspect an injury has gone undiagnosed, you may need a diagnostic test like an MRI.

 An MRI, which stands for magnetic resonance imaging, is the best way to examine the body’s soft tissues, such as the areas between bones, muscle tissue and spinal discs. Whereas x-rays see bone, an MRI focuses on all the areas in between.

MRI’s must be ordered by a doctor and are most often used by specialists like orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. The results must be read and interpreted by a medical professional trained specifically in MRIs, which includes most doctors that would order the test as well as the radiologist that may perform the scan.

If you’ve been in a car accident and are experiencing pain without a cause verified on tests you doctor’s have performed, it may be time to consider an MRI. Injuries like herniated or bulging spinal discs, nerve damage, a torn meniscus or an injured rotator cuff all usually show up on an MRI. Hard medical evidence like this is difficult for the insurance company to refute and can prove essential to recovering the damages you deserve in your personal injury case.

If you suspect a soft tissue injury is responsible for your persistent undiagnosed pain and your doctor has not ordered an MRI, request one. as soon as possible.  Ask your doctor to place you on the waiting list for the scan.

The experienced Ottawa personal injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth are prepared to fight for your right to the compensation your deserve.  Call our law firm today at 613 233-4529 to schedule a free consultation.  We have all the information you need to make the right decisions about your case.

Auger Hollingsworth is delighted to announce that lawyer Brenda Hollingsworth will be live on 580 CFRA on Saturday, August 18, 2012.  That’s 580 on the AM radio dial.

Brenda will be answering live calls about all things personal injury.  If you have a question or comment, we hope to hear from you.  The show runs for an hour starting at 2 p.m.

We hope Ottawa listeners will take this opportunity to ask questions about the personal injury process, how to get fair compensation and when you might be entitled to compensation.

If you have a question or comment, and can’t wait for the radio program or want to speak directly to our law firm, call 613 233-4529.  We look forward to speaking to you.

The Workplace Safety Insurance Appeals Tribunal released a 29-page decision today preserving our client’s right to sue for damages for compensation following a single vehicle accident where she was the passenger.  Our client had advanced a claim for compensation.  In addition to defending the claim, the insurance company for the at fault driver tried to have her right to sue removed on the basis that she should receive WSIB benefits, not damages.

The issue before the Tribunal was whether the injured passenger was an employee of the driver.  The Tribunal decided that she was not an employee and as a result, she was free to sue the at fault driver.

In most cases, a person who is injured in a motor vehicle accident in Ontario can still sue for pain and suffering and other injuries, even if the accident happened while he or she was working.  However, there are some exceptions.  If you are the employee of the at-fault driver in some cases you can lose your right to sue.  In that situation, you would likely be covered by WSIB.

If you have questions about whether you have the right to sue after a motor vehicle accident that happened while you were on the job, contact an Ottawa personal injury lawyer at 613 233-4529.  We’d be happy to  look at this issue for you.

At our law firm we are regularly reminded why it is vitally important to get legal help early after an Ottawa motor vehicle accident.  When you don’t, valuable evidence can be lost or forgotten.

Recently we were preparing our client for examination for discovery.  That is the step in the lawsuit when the other side’s lawyer gets to ask you questions about your accident and injuries.  Our client was intelligent and sophisticated.  However, he had been through so much in the aftermath of the accident, that the precise details of the accident itself had started to slip his mind.

Fortunately, we had interviewed him shortly after the accident and had taken extensive notes about:

• the route he took before the accident;
• how he approached the intersection;
• how long he waited for the light to turn green;
• what position he was facing as he advanced;
• whether or not he was drinking coffee at the time of the accident;
• how long it was between the time he saw the vehicle that struck him and the impact itself;
• what happened to his body inside the car on impact;
• where his vehicle stopped;
• what he did after the accident;
• who was present at the scene and what they said; and
• what pain or discomfort he felt at the scene.

These are small details that can make a difference both to liability (ie who was responsible for the crash) and damages (ie the extent of your injuries).  Having a personal injury lawyer record your earliest recollections for you can save a lot of heart ache as time passes and life fills your head with details other than these.

Do yourself a favour.  After a serious accident, have a legal consultation to determine what your options are.  For more info or to contact a personal injury lawyer, call 613 233-4529.

1. An Ottawa auto accident claim is not a get rich quick scheme. Awards of money for pain and suffering are very modest in Ontario. The most severe injuries (think quadriplegia or the worst brain injury) will receive less than $350,000 for pain and suffering. Sometimes injured victims receive very large, even multi-million dollar awards. However, when that is the case, it is because they cannot work (loss of income) or have extra-ordinary future care costs.

2. Some bad drivers need to be held accountable. While many people who cause an Ontario accident are normally careful drivers who were temporarily negligent, there are some drivers who cause multiple accidents; have many driving infractions etc. A law suit is one way to send the message that unsafe driving is not okay.

3. Most Ontario car accident law suits are totally legitimate and deserving. The insurance industry likes to talk about fraud. While there are fraudsters out there, as in any industry, the number of fake claims is significantly overstated.

4. Ontario Car Accident Victims Suffer. Whether it is chronic pain, broken bones, psychological illness or brain injury, car accident victims’ lives are often fundamentally and permanently changed. Monetary compensation is no substitute for their old lives, but, it is hoped that it will provide some solace.

If you have questions about bringing a lawsuit following an Ontario car accident, contact the lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth Professional Corp. at 613 233-4529. We are here to help.

I was injured in an Ottawa accident where I was driving without proper insurance on my car.  Can I sue?

Even if you did not cause the Ottawa car accident, you cannot usually advance a claim or sue the at-fault party if you were knowingly driving without insurance.   Whether or not you were “knowingly” without insurance is something you should discuss with a personal injury lawyer if you have suffered serious injuries.

However, you may still be entitled to accident benefits, medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits.

If you suffered serious injuries and had no insurance, request a personal injury consultation by calling 613 233-4529.

In an Ottawa accident? Here are some basic steps to take right away to protect yourself.

Get the other driver’s information, including:

• Name
• Address, Telephone
• Vehicle licence plate,  make and model
• Driver’s licence  number
• Other driver’s  insurance company and policy number

If the other driver tries to deny you any of this information, call the police.

Never admit you were at fault or agree to pay for any damage.

Take photos of the accident scene, your car and your injuries.

Make sure you get the name and phone number of any witnesses.

Go to a doctor if you have been injured.  It is much harder to make a claim later on if you have not seen a doctor within the first week of your accident.

Call the police.  We generally do not accept cases where the police were not called to the scene.

Report the accident to your insurance company.

Get free legal advice from a personal injury lawyer to see if you have a viable claim.

If you have suffered an Ottawa car accident, you may be wondering if Ottawa Lawyer Brenda Hollingsworth will take your personal injury case.  Check out this video, where Brenda answers this important question.

Will Ottawa Lawyer Brenda Hollingsworth Take Your Case?

We would be happy to speak to you.  Just call at 613 233-4529.

OTTAWA LAWYER —  On January 1, 2012, at 7:30 am a 36-year-old woman suffered serious injuries after an accident between a minivan and a car.  The Ottawa car accident occurred at the corner of Bank Street and Isabella Street.

One woman was rushed to hospital in serious but stable condition with chest injuries.  Three occupants in the second vehicle suffered minor injuries.