Car Accident Lawyers Calgary
In Alberta, car accidents are among the leading causes of injuries requiring hospitalization. Hundreds of community members lose their lives each year as the result of a traffic collision, and thousands more sustain injuries ranging in severity from moderate to catastrophic injuries. The Government of Alberta publishes annual statistics regarding car accidents and their latest reports indicate that traffic collisions, injuries and fatalities continue to rise year over year. At Preszler Injury Lawyers, our Calgary car accident lawyers can help you pursue compensation for your injuries if you were seriously injured in a car accident in Alberta. In fact, we’ve been doing this for Canadians across the country since 1959.
Regardless of the degree of severity, injuries sustained in a car accident can have wide-ranging impacts on your life and livelihood. Depending on the circumstances of the accident and its aftermath, injured survivors could feel the negative effects of their injuries for weeks, months, and even years to come. In Alberta, many fatal or injury-causing car accidents are the result of another motorist’s negligence. Negligence occurs when a driver fails to fulfill the duty of care they owe to other road-users.
How Negligence Works in Calgary Car Accident Claims
A driver may be considered negligent if they engage in any number of illegal or wrongful actions while operating their motor vehicle, such as:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
- Speeding
- Ignoring traffic signs/signals
- Improperly changing lanes
- Driving distractedly
- Texting while driving
- And more
Engaging in these types of wrongful actions is a violation of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act. If a driver does not obey local traffic laws and fails to exercise a reasonable degree of caution at all times while operating their car, their wrongful actions could have serious repercussions for other unsuspecting, law-abiding road-users such as yourself. If their negligence leads to an accident in which another road-user is injured, the at-fault motorist may be liable for damages incurred by the injured party, as well as damages they might incur in the future.
Were you injured in a collision caused by someone else’s negligence? If so, we may be able to help you recover the compensation you deserve by taking legal action against the driver who was at-fault for your collision. To learn more about options that might be available to you, contact our Calgary car accident lawyers for a free consultation.
How Hit and Run Accidents Work in Calgary
The Government of Alberta has guidelines on what to do if you’ve been injured in an accident by an unknown or uninsured driver. The Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Program (MVAC) is intended to protect accident victims and give them recourse to sue uninsured or unidentified motorists in hit-and-run accidents. If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident or by an uninsured motorist, we recommend you consult with a Calgary car accident lawyer as soon as possible to help you with your claim. As an accident victim, you may be eligible for up to $200,000 in compensation. In the event of more than one accident victim, the payment will be a pro-rated split between all claimants.
In order to be eligible for an MVAC claim, you must demonstrate the following:
- Prove the accident occurred in Alberta
- You sustained bodily injuries as a result of the accident (property damage is not eligible)
- You are a resident of Alberta (you may still be eligible if you live in another jurisdiction with a similar program)
- The accident was the fault of an uninsured or unknown driver
- Only the unknown motorist or uninsured motorist is at fault
If you require legal assistance for a hit-and-run claim, contact our car accident lawyers today for your free consultation and let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
Most Common Causes of Car Accidents
Impaired driving is one of the leading causes of fatal car accidents. In Alberta, on average, one in five drivers involved in fatal car accidents were drinking prior to the collision. Drivers who operate their vehicles under the influence of alcohol and/or other substances are more likely to be involved in accidents with more severe consequences.
Another increasingly common form of driver negligence is distracted driving. In just the first three months of 2022, nearly 14,000 distracted driving convictions were issued to drivers throughout the province. Despite increasing awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, many Albertans still engage in this potentially harmful activity without giving it a second thought.
Unfortunately, in the time it takes to glance away from the road to check a cell phone notification, families could be torn apart in violent, preventable motor vehicle collisions. Dozens of Albertans are killed by distracted drivers each year. It is one of the province’s leading causes of traffic accidents. Indeed, distracted driving is responsible for a quarter of fatal car accidents in Alberta.
In addition to human error, inclement weather often plays a role in injury-causing car accidents. Indeed, on average, most Alberta car accidents occur in the month of January in part because of icy, snowy road conditions. However, despite the fact that more collisions may occur during the winter months, car accidents that take place in the summer often have more severe outcomes.
That is because drivers do not always feel the need to exercise as much caution on the road during the summer than they do in the winter. Drivers tend to speed more in the summer months, behaving in a more reckless or carefree fashion. They might also be more inclined to drive home after consuming alcohol at parties or outdoor social events, which could lead to severe, fatal accidents.
An Overview of Damages Available for Injured Car Accident Victims
Sustaining injuries in a motor vehicle collision can impact a person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being. The aftermath of a car accident can be expensive, and many injured survivors of motor vehicle collisions find themselves struggling to keep up with their injury-related costs. This is particularly true for accident survivors who have lost wages or experienced a reduced future earning capability as a result of the injuries they sustained in their collisions. Based on your individual situation, you may not even realize the full extent of your injuries and possible limitations until years after a car accident took place. This is the main reason why our Calgary car accident lawyers seek to pursue compensation not just for what’s best for you today, but also what’s best for your future.
When dealing with civil claims for car accidents, there are two types of damages that we can help you get compensation for providing you are seriously injured:
- Economic damages: These are damages that are easier to quantify. For example, expenses for medical rehabilitation, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, damages to property and other costs where a receipt or documentation can be supplied for.
- Non-economic damages: These are damages that are typically harder to quantify. For example, compensation for psychological injuries, trauma, pain and suffering, loss of affection or companionship and more.
In some cases, we may even pursue punitive damages or aggravated damages. Each situation is different, so we encourage you to consult with one of our car accident lawyers for legal help. Whether it’s building a case for economic or non-economic damages, our Calgary car accident lawyers can help build a strong case alongside expert medical professionals and other vocational and occupational health experts to help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Car Accident Claims in Calgary and Section B Benefits
In Alberta, all auto insurance plans must include provisions for Section B benefits. Also referred to as “no-fault accident benefits,” Section B benefits are intended to help people hurt in motor vehicle collisions to offset their injury-related expenses, no matter which party was responsible for causing the accident.
That means, even if your own actions or errors contributed to the circumstances leading to the collision, if you were injured in a car accident, you could be entitled to Section B benefits. However, insurance companies do not always approve accident benefits claims. And those who do receive benefits coverage may find the compensation insufficient to replace their total injury-related financial losses. These damages are often related to:
- Medical expenses
- Ambulance bills
- Medical equipment
- Prescriptions
- Mobility aids
- Physiotherapy
- Chiropractic sessions
- Massage therapy
- Strength-training exercise programs
- Psychological counseling
- Home modifications to accommodate acquired disabilities
- Mileage expenses for trips to and from medical appointments
- And possibly more
The costs associated with serious injuries can be exorbitant. They can impact both accident victims and their loved ones as they struggle to rebuild their lives in the wake of a serious, disruptive, and life-changing collision. And while insurance coverage may help cover certain costs, additional assistance may be required.
Common Injuries from Car Accidents and Why Compensation For Your Injuries Are Important
Havin represented Canadians since 1959, our car accident lawyers have seen first-hand the challenges that our clients are faced with after sustaining serious injuries in a car accident. Not only can it impact your ability to work in the future, it can also turn tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning the house, walking your dog or even playing with your kids into very painful ordeals. Chronic pain especially can also turn into mental health challenges if you’re dealing with poor sleep from your pain.
Here are common types of injuries we see from car accidents:
- Sprains and Strains
- Broken bones and fractures
- Impairments, disfigurements and loss of limbs
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Psychological injuries
- Other soft tissue injuries
Some injuries may have long-lasting consequences to a degree where you’ll never be functioning normally as you were prior to the accident happening. For example, vacuuming your floors and tending to your garden in the summer may now be very painful tasks for the rest of your life if your injuries are serious. You may need assistance from a housekeeper for these tasks in the future. Our team can foresee things like this thanks to your experience and will work to get you the compensation you deserve.
In cases like this, it’s important that a car accident lawyer builds a strong case to prove that your injuries will have a lifelong impact on your future wellbeing and livelihood. Building a strong case sometimes means having to hire experts like accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts for specialized medical assessments and other vocational and occupational experts to help prove your claim.
We work with a team of these types of experts to help demonstrate the extent and severity of your injuries and aim to recover compensation for your long-term future and best interests as opposed to your immediate best interests.
Contact Our Calgary Car Accident Lawyers For Legal Help
Our Calgary car accident lawyers believe that no one should suffer the consequences of someone else’s negligence. If you were injured in a collision caused by another driver’s wrongful actions, consider scheduling a free initial consultation with our legal team.
If you are eligible to pursue a civil claim against the at-fault driver who caused your collision, our Calgary car accident lawyers may be able to help you recover the maximum amount of damages to which you might be entitled. Our law firm works on a contingency-fee basis. That means you do not pay a cent for our services unless we win your case. We offer all prospective clients a free initial consultation, during which you will have the opportunity to review your case and learn how we may be able to help you get the compensation to which you are rightfully entitled.
To learn more, contact us today to speak with a member of our legal team and let us put our experience to work for you.
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