Motor Vehicle Accidents

Winter Driving is Here. What to do if You Experience a Car Accident.

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Other Areas of Injury Law

If you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident and suffer an injury, your legal rights may be the furthest thing from your mind. You may be confused about your next steps, and you may not realize how important your early actions are to a legal settlement later. Here’s a checklist to help protect your legal interests even before you call an injury lawyer.

Loss of Income and Loss of Earning Capacity as a Result of an Accident

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Slip and Fall Accidents

An injury caused by a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, or other type of accident can have serious and far-reaching consequences on your life. In addition to the pain and suffering resulting from the injuries sustained in the accident that begin immediately or soon after the accident, there exists the possibility of long-term, chronic pain and impairment that can reach well into the future.

Sobering Statistics — Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries in Canada

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

There is no doubt that driving is a dangerous activity. In fact, it may be one of the most dangerous activities we undertake in modern society. This means that the chance you will be injured at some point in your life as a result of a motor vehicle accident is higher...

Self-driving Cars – The Future is (Almost) Now

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

The automobile industry is gearing up for perhaps the biggest advancement to ever hit the industry: self-driving cars. This futuristic development is primed to forever change our preferred daily method of transportation. Self-driving cars hold the potential to...

The Supreme Court Strikes down Alberta Law regarding Driver’s Licence Privileges

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury

In Alberta, if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident with an uninsured driver, you can seek compensation from the Province of Alberta via the Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Claims Act. The Province then later tries to get that money back from the uninsured...

Apology Act in Alberta. I’m Sorry (but it wasn’t my fault!).

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury

People sometimes joke about how we as Canadians seem to apologize even when we have no real reason to apologize. For example, if two individuals brush shoulders walking past each other on a busy street, or almost collide their shopping carts in a supermarket, it’s not...

Who’s to Blame? Apportioning Liability in Motor Vehicle Accidents

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Accidents happen. Whether it is on the road of life, or the actual road, mistakes will be made, and accidents will happen. Oftentimes, it is easy to tell who caused an accident. If only one driver did something improper, negligent, or illegal that caused the motor...

Speeding and Motor Vehicle Accidents

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Speeding and motor vehicle accidents often go hand in hand. Drivers who speed are far more likely to be involved in a collision, and are far more likely to be injured in a collision. Speed limits are enforced to varying degrees, depending on the roadway and...

Traffic Violations Prompting Focus on Road Safety

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

If it seems like there are more bad drivers than ever on our city streets, it’s not just your imagination. In fact, the Calgary Police Service (CPS) reports that there is a growing number of speeders on our roads. According to the CPS’s Annual Report for 2014, a total...

Shoulder-tap Technology Aims to Protect Cyclists and Motorcyclists

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Cyclists, moped users and motorcyclists might be a bit safer on the roads if technology being tested by Jaguar Land Rover becomes widely available. Jaguar has developed a driver-alert system that emits a noise (such as a bicycle bell) or gives the driver a virtual tap...

GPS Tracking Opens Door to Location-Specific Vehicle Ads

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Imagine that you’re driving down the road and an ad pops up on your car’s computer screen. You’re just two blocks away from a new restaurant, the ad informs you. Location-specific advertising such as this is just one aspect of GPS tracking of vehicles that regulators...

Canada’s Worst Drivers

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

You don’t have to be a personal injury lawyer to know that every city has its share of bad drivers. But it seems Calgary’s drivers might in fact be worse than those in many other cities. According to a recent article in the Calgary Herald, our city has contributed the...

Survey Highlights Desirable Vehicle Safety Technologies

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

It seems like every week there are announcements about new gadgets and safety features for vehicles. Which ones appeal to you? If you’re like the people recently surveyed by Edmunds, you’re probably interested in blind spot detection and rearview cameras with park...

A Future With Connected Cars Should Mean Safer Driving

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

The future of driving is connected cars, according to an article in the September 6, 2014 edition of The Economist. The article states that connected cars will make driving “safer, cleaner and more efficient.” There’s certainly a lot of room to improve the safety...

Voice-activated Systems Place Heavy Demand on Driver Attention

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that all voice-activated, hands-free devices cause driver distraction. The study, entitled “Mental Workload of Common Voice-Based Vehicle Interactions across Six Different Vehicle Systems,” found that some...

Dashboard Cameras Can Protect Drivers

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

There is only so much you can do to avoid motor vehicle accidents. Even if you do nothing wrong, you must contend with the actions of other drivers. And if something does happen, your version of events might differ from the other driver’s version. There may not be...

Report on Cycling

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury

The City of Calgary has just issued a new report showing the most popular cycling locations in the city. It also reveals some interesting demographic data on the city’s cyclists. The report states that nearly 20,000 cyclists were counted at 51 locations across the...

What if the At-Fault Driver is a Family Member?

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury

Let’s say you’re a passenger in a vehicle and your spouse or another family member is the driver. What happens if that family member makes a mistake and causes a serious accident that results in injuries to you? What are the implications for your insurance claim? In...

Can I Borrow Against My Future Injury Settlement?

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury, Slip and Fall Accidents

How to get money while waiting for an injury settlement? If you’ve suffered a slip and fall injury or have been in a motor vehicle accident, the day you’ll reach a settlement can seem a long way off. It can be a significant challenge to get by financially while you...

How to Sue for Injuries on Public Transit in Calgary, AB?

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury, Popular Articles

Let’s say you’re standing on a bus when another vehicle cuts off the bus. The bus driver slams on the brakes. Unless you’re standing near the front and have a clear view out the windshield…

Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses Cycling Safety

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury

Personal injury lawyers don’t just assist vehicle drivers and their passengers. They also assist cyclists who have been injured on the road. Due to their lack of protection, cyclists often suffer particularly serious injuries following a collision with a vehicle....

Hands-Free Devices Aren’t Free of Risks

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Publicity around distracted driving is prompting many drivers to avoid texting or calling while driving. Some are opting to use hands-free devices instead, such as an earpiece, a dashboard system or a speakerphone. However, hands-free devices might not offer as much...

The Prospect of Self-Driving Cars Raises Many Questions

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Self-driving cars seem to be a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if.’ As for when, it will likely take at least 20 years for truly autonomous vehicles to become common on our roads. In the meantime, there’s no question that vehicles are becoming more autonomous all the time....

Do I Have to Pay Taxes on My MVA Award in Alberta, Canada?

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury, Popular Articles

If you have been in a motor vehicle accident (MVA), you might wonder if you will have to pay taxes on the personal injury settlement that is ultimately reached (or the damages award if it goes to trial). After all, a car accident settlement payout can be in the range...

Injury Lawyer Discusses Pros and Cons of Winter Tires

by Vladimir Zhivov | Motor Vehicle Accidents

City council in Calgary recently debated whether to make snow tires mandatory for Calgary drivers. City councillors previously considered, and rejected, such a measure in 2010. It seems most councillors remain opposed to forcing drivers to swap out their all-season...