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.

OTTAWA LAWYER- While there can be a number of financial costs to receiving medical treatment for your injuries, some of these expenses can be reimbursed.  In addition to medical coverage provided by OHIP and any personal insurance plans you may have, you should be able to be reimbursed for some other expenses, like the cost of your mileage to rehabilitation appointments.

 The law in Ontario states that the company that provides your car insurance is responsible for $0.38 per kilometre for trips
for treatment that are over 50 kilometres.  This 50 kilometre rule applies if you are not catastrophically injured.  If you are considered to be catastrophically injured, the car insurance company is required to pay for all of your mileage costs.  This includes trips to your family doctor for appointments related to the injuries incurred in the accident, appointments with specialists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, etc.  If you are not sure whether or not certain medical appointments qualify for this kind of reimbursement, speak with your Ontario personal injury lawyer and they can provide you with additional guidance.

 In order to be reimbursed for these mileage expenses, you have to submit records of your mileage to your car insurance company.  A specific form (OCF 6) needs to be completed in full.  Make sure you keep a copy of the completed form for your own records.  This completed form must be submitted to your insurer within 30 days in order for you to receive reimbursement.  You might also want to consider including an online map print out of the routes you drove in order to provide more information about your trips.

 Dealing with all of the medical and legal aspects of your personal injury case can be overwhelming, so it is important to  know that there are a few things in place to help you, such as reimbursement for mileage to medical appointments.  If  you want to know more about how what you may be entitled to in your case, contact the Ontario injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth at 613 233-4529.

Ottawa Lawyer- Today we delivered a settlement cheque to a cyclist who was injured when a driver opened his door in traffic.  My client struck the open door on his bike and went flying into a street in the Glebe.  Fortunately for my client, there was no on-coming traffic. He suffered a fracture, and has permanent injuries, but for him, life goes on.

Unfortunately, the outcome for Ottawa cyclist Danielle Nacu was not the same.  The tragic fatal accident involving Ms. Nacu in downtown Ottawa on Queen Street near Metcalfe Street on October 11, 2011 is a reminder to all of the importance of looking before you open your car or truck door. This was an entirely avoidable accident that has left many lives shattered.  Accidents caused by the same carelessness happen all the time.

If your loved one has been fatally injured in a cycling accident, there is compensation available to you through the Statutory Accident Benefit regime. If someone else was at fault for the accident, there may also be compensation available through the at fault driver’s insurance. A personal injury lawyer who is experienced dealing with wrongful death claims can assist you
to ensure that you secure all available compensation and reimbursement. The lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth Professional Corporation would be pleased to assist you with your claim.

OTTAWA LAWYER-  It seems that we are always hearing stories of Ontario car accidents, whether it be on the radio, television or in the newspapers.  While vehicle collisions seem to be a part of life and not all can be avoided, it is interesting to look at statistics to see if Ontario car accidents are on the rise or if such collisions are occurring less often.  As Ontario personal injury lawyers, we often have clients who have been injured in a car accident.  Because of this, we like to stay as up to date as possible on the statistics regarding Ontario vehicle collisions.  We’d like to share some of the 2010 Ontario car accident statistics with you.

 According to Ottawa police reports, the number of fatalities due to car accidents increased in 2010.  Despite this, the overall number of vehicle collisions and subsequent injuries decreased.  In fact, according to the 2010 Crime, Police and Traffic Statistics report, car accidents decreased by four percent.  There are less accidents but the accidents that occur seem to be more severe given the higher fatality rate.  Ottawa statistics indicate that out of thirty collisions in Ottawa last year, thirty-four people were killed.  The 2009 statistics show that twenty-five people were killed in car accidents of that year.

 The total number of car accidents in Ottawa decreased from approximately 13, 900 in 2009 to about 13, 300 in 2010.  Although those numbers still seem high, approximately six-hundred fewer accidents in 2010 is still significant.  The reasons for the apparent decrease in accidents are uncertain and each situation has a different set of circumstances.  While we may not be able to pin-point why the number of vehicle collisions decreased, we should still be encouraged by the numbers.

 It appears as though fewer injuries occurred due to Ottawa accidents as well.  2009 statistics report that there were approximately 2,700 accidents where injuries were reported compared to about 2,600 in 2010.  Although the difference is only 100, it is still encouraging to see that fewer people are being injured in car accidents.

 While the 2010 car accident statistics are positive, we should still take driving seriously and remember that vehicle collisions can happen at any time.  If you were recently injured in an Ontario car accident, you may be eligible for compensation.  Contact the personal injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth to discuss your case. Our number is 613 233-4529.

An individual who experiences a serious Ontario car accident may suffer from a variety of injuries.  A recent medical study shows that one of the effects of a car accident could be fibromyalgia.  While it is not an immediate injury associated with motor vehicle accidents, the study demonstrates that car accidents can predict the onset of chronic widespread pain, otherwise known as fibromyalgia.  If you have suffered a motor vehicle accident, you may suffer from fibromyalgia and may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  Working with an experienced Ontario personal injury lawyer can help you to achieve this.

The recent study that demonstrates a link between car accidents and chronic pain involved individuals who responded to a questionnaire that corresponded with the American College of Rheumatology fibromyalgia classification criteria.  The study also considered the individuals’ psychological health, behaviour related to their health, and any sleep problems they may be experiencing.  After analyzing the data, researchers determined which individuals were experiencing fibromyalgia and which were not.  Those who did not seem to exhibit signs of chronic pain were then followed up on after four years.  In order to assess whether or not fibromyalgia had developed since the initial assessment, the individuals once gain completed the questionnaire and date about their health and sleeping problems was also collected.  At this follow up, individuals were also asked to explain any physically traumatic events they may have experienced since the initial assessment four years prior.

The results of the study indicate that at of the 2069 individuals who participated in the follow up   (46.6% of the original participants), 241 (or 11.6%) reported having chronic widespread pain.  Over one-third of these individuals reported having experienced at least one traumatic event since the initial assessment and prior to the follow up.  Researchers found that car accidents in particular increased the likelihood of an individuals developing fibromyalgia.  To read about this study in more detail, follow this link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21425478.

We can see from this study that motor vehicle accidents in particular, can trigger the onset of chronic widespread pain.  If you have been in a car accident and are experiencing serious pain, you should seek medical attention to find out if you may have fibromyalgia.  In addition, a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you receive compensation for your injuries.  The lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth would be happy to discuss your motor vehicle accident case with you.

The following article was kindly contributed by Dr. Joseph Lawrence, a certified non-surgical disc decompression practitioner.

Injuries secondary to motor vehicle accidents continue to plague modern society, despite technological advances in automobiles.  However, the way we deal with these injuries has seen some varying degree of advancement in the healthcare community.

In my opinion, one of the most significant advances in dealing with whiplash associated disorder injuries is the use of non-surgical disc decompression and the companion active therapeutic movement therapy.

Simply put, non-surgical disc decompression, utilizes long-axis traction to the spine.  However, before you jump to conclusions that your inversion table will do the same thing, the technique employs skill in determining patient positioning (ie. stomach, side or back), flexed or extended, time/force calculations and duration of treatment.  Like any tool, it is only as good as the operator.

Decompression therapy has shown tremendous results for whiplash patients, particularly for cervical (neck) pain complaints.  We have been referred the most difficult cases, and we find upwards of 90% of our cervical patients have been able to return to activities of daily living and pre-accident status.  There are two main reasons this may occur.  Firstly, unloading of the spine and hence the disc, promote healing in a very safe and painless fashion.  Secondly, long-axis traction to the spine delivered with this technique is very stimulating to, among other things, the cerebellum.  The cerebellum is generally involved in coordinating movement, balance and termination of eye movement.  Consequently, decompression therapy plays a pivotal role in rehabilitation.

As for muscle rehabilitation, there are a multitude of options for accident victims; however the use of active therapeutic movement is the one approach that is the most effective without excessive loading on the spine.

The remarkable thing about active therapeutic movement is that it takes literally 2 minutes to determine if an individual is a good candidate for care.  A test treatment is done, and ideal candidates will notice a significant decrease in pain and increase in range of motion on the spot.  However, extreme caution must be exercised with each and every patient.  Advanced examination will determine whether or not a patient can be fast-tracked to active therapeutic movement directly, or must undergo disc decompression therapy first.

We have had great success with this approach for patients with injury due to whiplash in particular.  One of the main reasons is it draws from the best of both passive and active forms of care.

Dr. Joseph Lawrence of Broadview Spine and Health Centre is a certified non-surgical disc decompression practitioner, introducing this form of care and active therapeutic movement to Eastern Ontario.  He is a board eligible  chiropractic neurologist. To learn more about Broadview Spine and Health Centre, visit http://stopmypain.info.