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Ottawa Accident Lawyer–If you are an Ontario  pedestrian or a cyclist who was struck by a motor vehicle in Ottawa, there is accident benefit insurance that can help you.  If you do not have car insurance, accident benefit insurance is available to almost anyone injured in an Ontario accident.  Your personal injury lawyer will be able to tell you if you are qualified to receive this kind of insurance.  If you are, your lawyer will help you with the process of benefiting from this insurance which will help you pay for your rehabilitation from your injuries.

Also, if you don’t already have insurance and you also don’t live with someone does, you will most likely be covered by the insurance of the driver who struck you.  Most car insurance policies include provisions that provide some degree of insurance for anyone struck by the vehicle in an accident.  If the driver does not have proper insurance, there is still insurance available which your personal injury lawyer will be able to explain to you.

A personal injury lawyer will be able to point you in the right direction and will help you get the rehabilitation you need.  In the event that you are struck by a car as a pedestrian or a cyclist don’t automatically assume that you will be left to pay for your rehabilitation on your own.  There are a variety of ways for you to receive insurance even if you are not currently protected by an existing insurance policy.  Your personal injury lawyer is there to help you find the appropriate kind of insurance that will help cover the costs of treating and recovering from your injuries.  Being in a car accident as a pedestrian or cyclist can be a frightening and overwhelming experience.  A personal injury lawyer can help you find the right kind of insurance which will help to ease the burden of your injuries.

OTTAWA ACCIDENT- An 81 year old woman was injured as a pedestrian on December 14, 2010 around 4 pm.  She was walking near the Ottawa Civic Hospital at Parkdale and Carling at the time of the accident.

It is reported that two cars collided. One of the cars lost control in the accident and struck the pedestrian woman.  The woman apparently suffered head and leg injuries.

Recent pedestrian accidents in late November and early December have devastated several families as we approach the holiday season.

On Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 an elderly man using a walker was struck and fatally injured by a van while crossing Alta Vista near Dale Street.

On Wednesday, December 1, 2010,  a man in his 30s was rushed to hospital in critical condition Wednesday night after he was struck by a pickup truck while trying to cross Vanier Parkway at Donald Street.

On Friday, December 3rd a 40-year-old man was in critical condition after being hit by a car at Montreal Road and Highway 174.  He is reported as having suffered life-threatening head injuries.

Police are reminding pedestrians of the importance of crossing at crosswalks.  Motorists should also remember that pedestrians can be anywhere.  You must be driving in a way that you can see and react to any pedestrian on the road.

In terms of civil responsibility for a vehicle-pedestrian accident, there is an onus on the motorist to prove he or she was not negligent when a pedestrian was struck, even if the pedestrian was not at a cross-walk.  As the temperatures lower and walkers are taking short cuts to get out of the cold quickly,  drivers must be alert to darting pedestrians.

Are your kids safe Pedestrians?

Ottawa pedestrian accidents involving children are among the most traumatic car accidents.  Unfortunately, as we know from our personal injury law practice, these accidents are all too common in Ottawa.

Your child may be vulnerable to a motor vehicle accident simply by virtue of inexperience and (it’s true…) your over-estimation of their knowledge and skill in traffic.  Consider the following 8 factors that make your kids more prone to be struck as a pedestrian:

1.  Your child may believe that if he or she can see a vehicle, the vehicle’s driver can see him or her.

2.  Your child may believe that a car driver will always stop at a crosswalk.

3.  Your child may not realize that a car cannot brake on a dime.

4.  Your child may be preoccupied with play and dart out after a pet or a toy.  Similarly, Ottawa children are vulnerable to toboganning into traffic.

5. Your child’s peripheral vision may not be as developed as an adult’s.

6. A child lacks the experience to judge a car’s distance and speed.

7.Your child may believe that a vehicle will always stop at a red light, or that it is always safe to cross on a green light.

8.  Your child may not be able to tell the direction from which sound is coming.

As parents, we want to do everything to protect our children.  Teaching our children to be safe in a way that factors in their cognitive, developmental, behavioural, physical and sensory abilities will enhance their safety on Ottawa streets.

Read our articles on child car accidents in Ottawa for more information about what to do if your child has been in a serious motor vehicle accident as a pedestrian.

Ottawa Lawyer: Cycling Accidents / Pedestrian Accidents

Traffic issues are a big concern for the personal injury lawyers in our Ottawa law firm. Check out these excerpts from the press release by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). TIRF’s mission is to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries. The press release gives the most current statistics for serious traffic accidents and provides the results of a poll about Canadians’ attitude toward safety as pedestrians or cyclists.  The information was gathered in the Road Safety Monitor (RSM), an annual public opinion survey conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). A total of 1,201 Canadians completed the interview.

[A]ccording to Transport Canada, in Canada in 2006, there were 374 pedestrian fatalities accounting for 12.9% of all road user fatalities and there were 73 bicyclists killed accounting for 2.5% of all road user fatalities.

… almost a quarter of pedestrians indicated that they frequently jaywalk, 12.2% indicated that they frequently cross the street while listening to an mp3 player or CD-player, or using a cell phone, and 11.8% frequently cross at a crosswalk when a vehicle has the right of way.

41.2% of people surveyed reported that they ride a bicycle. Of all bicyclists, 8.9% admitted to frequently crossing the street while listening to an mp3 player or CD-player, or using a cell phone, 8.5% admitted to frequently weaving in and out of traffic while riding their bicycle on the road, and 8.3% said they ride their bike at night when they are not easily visible to traffic.

In 2006, pedestrians under the influence of alcohol accounted for 12.3% of alcohol related road deaths in Canada.

Of the pedestrian fatalities tested for alcohol, 42% had been drinking and 27% of those who had been drinking had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .16% or higher, twice the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle.

The author of the press release comments:

“Given the high number of near misses reported by drivers and the devastating damage that can result from crashes, regardless of whether drivers are at fault or not, being vigilant at all times and slowing down could go a long way in improving the safety of vulnerable road users,” says Vanlaar. “On the other hand, vulnerable road users themselves have to be prudent and respect traffic rules. As a vulnerable road user, you will always be in the weakest position when being involved in a crash and not being at fault will not change that.”

If you require a personal injury lawyer to assist you with a pedestrian accident or a bicycle accident, contact the Ottawa injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth at 613 233-4529.

Beyond sharing the roadways, motorists and pedestrians must also share the responsibility of each other’s safety. 

If you are ever injured in an Ottawa pedestrian accident, there are many things you must do, including remaining calm, in order to protect your health, safety and your legal rights. Ottawa personal injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth are available to help you protect your legal rights to ensure that you are afforded fair and just compensation as a result of the potentially life changing incident.

 Between 2004 and 2008, 1487 injuries of which 181 were life-altering were reported in Ottawa, and 32 individuals were actually killed in vehicle-pedestrian accidents.

If you are ever injured in an accident, it is very important to obtain legal advice as soon as you can; the opportunity to preserve important evidence is limited. The faster you act, the easier it will be to obtain accurate information from witnesses as well as information about the scene of the accident before the environment is altered or impacted by weather, time or human activity.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in Ottawa or elsewhere in Eastern Ontario, contact the Ottawa personal injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth for a free, no obligation consultation. If you prefer, we can come to you at home or in the hospital.  To speak with a lawyer, call 613 233-4529 or email us at info@ottawalawfirm.ca.

Ottawa Pedestrian Accidents | Ottawa Injury Lawyer

In our Ottawa personal injury practice, pedestrian accidents are often among the most serious we see.  Have you been struck as a pedestrian in Ottawa or surrounding area, including Smiths Falls, Perth, Cornwall or elsewhere in Eastern Ontario? Check out this article about how some Ottawa pedestrian accidents occur.

Our Ottawa accident and injury lawyers help clients injured by motor vehicles such as cars, trucks and motorcycles, including people involved in Ontario pedestrian accidents.

If you are hit by a car while on foot, you may have a statutory accident benefits claims (SABS) for medical expenses, lost wages, and other benefits, even if you did not own a vehicle or auto insurance.

Often a claim for damages can also be filed, even where there is a hit and run.

Families of people who are killed in pedestrian accidents can often claim death benefits under the SABS.

In addition to the SABS, pedestrians who are accident victims may be able to bring a claim for damages against the driver who hit them.  In the case of death, a wrongful death claim may be available to the family of survivors.

The lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth can help you initiate and prosecute both your no fault claims and your claims against the at-fault drivers.  Call us at 613 233-4529 or email us at info@ottawalawfirm.ca.

What Types of Accidents Are We Considering?

Catastrophic injuries are frequent outcomes of the interaction between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, because of the difference in size and weight in a person versus machine scenario.  Common injuries include:

• Concussions/ Closed Head Injury/ Tramatic Brain Injury
• Spinal Cord Injury, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia
• Fractures such as broken bones
• Back Injuries
• Neck Injuries
• Shoulder Injuries
• Knee injuries
• Scarring or other disfigurement
• Amputation

If you have been injured in an Ottawa pedestrian accident, you should contact experienced personal injury lawyers like the lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth immediately.  Email us at info@ottawalawfirm.ca for a free consultation with no obligation.   Our lawyers will start working on your case immediately.  There is so much to do!  We look forward to working with you on your accident case