Personal Injury
Read about personal injury law cases in Calgary, AB, Canada. Learn the critical first steps after an accident leading to a personal injury claim. Get answers to most common questions our lawyers daily.
Do I Need an MVA Lawyer for an Injury Claim in Alberta, Canada?
While this topic has been discussed previously on our blog, such as in this post, I feel like another post is warranted. Indeed, the simple question seems to come up time and time again: Do I need a lawyer?
The Importance of Expert Witnesses in Personal Injury Trials: A look at Jones v Stepanenko, 2016 ABQB 295
The recent decision from the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Jones v Stepanenko, 2016 ABQB 295, builds on previous case law, such as McLean v Parmar, 2015 ABQB 62, and Chisholm v. Lindsay, 2012 ABQB 81, in providing guidance on compensation for chronic pain injuries in Alberta with consideration of the Minor Injury Regulation, Alta Reg 123/2004.
The Supreme Court Strikes down Alberta Law regarding Driver’s Licence Privileges
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!).
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...
Pay Inequality and Calculating Loss of Income Earning Potential
While true equality between male and female earnings still eludes society at large, the courts may have showed signs of recognizing and eschewing the inequality. A recent Alberta court decision McLean v Parmar, 2015 ABQB 62, recognized how the use of the typical...
Calgary Injury Lawyer Offers Halloween Safety Tips
As personal injury lawyers we see every day that accidents can happen in the best of conditions. Holidays bring additional hazards to the roads and sidewalks of our communities. With Halloween just a few weeks away, here are some important safety considerations to...
Report on Cycling
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 is a Pain Diary?
It is often a good idea to keep a ‘pain diary’ or ‘pain journal’ following an accident such as a motor vehicle collision or a slip and fall. A pain diary, like its name suggests, is a record of your daily activities along with any discomfort or pain felt during those...
What if the At-Fault Driver is a Family Member?
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?
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?
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
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....
The Personal Impact of an Injury Claim
A motor vehicle collision or slip and fall accident can have wide-ranging effects on your life. The obvious ones are the pain and discomfort of your injuries, both physical and mental, and the treatment that goes along with that. There are also many less obvious ways...
Do I Have to Pay Taxes on My MVA Award in Alberta, Canada?
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...
What is a Contingency Agreement?
There are two main ways to hire a lawyer — by signing a retainer agreement or by signing a contingency agreement. Hiring a lawyer on a retainer agreement basis means you pay the lawyer a certain amount of money upfront (the retainer). The lawyer holds these...
Will I Have to Testify in Court?
If you pursue a personal injury claim, whether for a motor vehicle accident or a slip and fall, you might wonder how likely it is that you’ll have to testify in court. The typical person does not relish the prospect of doing this. Movies and TV shows certainly paint a...
Common Pedestrian Injuries
Pedestrian injuries are an unfortunate fact of life, particularly in urban environments. As personal injury lawyers, we often represent pedestrians who have suffered injuries caused by motor vehicles. As would be expected, these injuries are often severe. Many factors...
Can I Fire My Personal Injury Lawyer in Calgary, AB?
The short answer is yes. You can switch personal injury lawyers anytime you want. There are a number of reasons why a client might wish to be changing personal injury lawyers. Perhaps you consistently have trouble reaching your lawyer. Perhaps your personal injury...
Assessing Past and Future Income Loss
A recent Alberta Court of Appeal decision provides some insight into the assessment of past and future income loss in personal injury cases. In Minhas v. Hayden, the plaintiff (Minhas) had been injured in 2003 when the defendants’ car crossed the centre median and...
How Common is Surveillance of Personal Injury Plaintiffs in Alberta?
It happens all the time. Defendants have a big incentive to investigate personal injury claims to as great an extent as is allowed by law. Tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars can be at stake. The larger the claim the more likely surveillance...
From Calgary Injury Lawyer: Researching Your Legal Rights
The information below applies mainly to those located in Calgary, Alberta. However, similar resources are likely available in your city and province/state. If you need legal advice, there is a lot of free legal information available. But you have to know where to...
Common Myths About Personal Injury Law
As with any profession, there is misinformation about personal injury law and the people who practise it. Below we try to dispel three common ones. Myth 1: Personal injury lawyers take advantage of their clients Some people believe that injury lawyers exaggerate their...
Finding Fault in Personal Injury Claims
You slipped and fell while on someone else’s property, or perhaps another driver hit your vehicle. You have suffered injuries. But can you prove your injuries were the fault of the other person? Do you have a winnable personal injury case? To successfully pursue a...