A personal injury claim arises when an individual has a legal right to be compensated for losses due to an injury. The injured party has the right to claim for damages, including medical expenses, past and future wage loss, and pain and suffering.

Obtain the names of all drivers, witnesses, and police officers involved. Be sure to get the licence plate numbers of all the vehicles involved. Make sure you see the driver’s licence of the person driving the vehicle that hit you, so you can be sure the person is correctly identifying himself or herself to you. Take down the information from the driver’s licence and obtain a copy of the police motor vehicle accident report. Ideally, you should also look at the registration papers for the vehicle and take down the name of the owner of the vehicle.

You must notify ICBC of the accident. Make sure you review all the relevant details of the crash because accuracy is important in dealing with ICBC. It is best to consult a lawyer before providing ICBC with information, and before providing ICBC a formal statement or signing any forms.

If you are hurt, or you have any concerns at all about your health, seek medical advice immediately. Go to the hospital for a check-up or see your family doctor as soon as possible after the crash

Report all symptoms. Follow the doctor’s advice and the advice of any other medical or health professionals your doctor refers you to.

Each claim is different and it depends upon many factors, including the extent and nature of your injuries. It is usually not possible to give a dollar amount until we see how your injuries evolve and until all the necessary medical information is obtained, reviewed and assessed.

Our hope at the beginning of your case is that you will make a full and speedy recovery. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and we need to look carefully at the medical opinion available to assess your claim.

Without reading medical reports and knowing the full extent of your injuries, it is impossible to give a professional opinion.

At Sporer Mah & Company, we offer a free consultation to discuss your case so you can get information you need to make important decisions. We work on a contingency fee basis which means you do not need to pay us a retainer to take your case. Instead our fee is based on a percentage of the amount of damages we collect for you and you don’t have to pay our fee until your case is concluded. If we do not recover any compensation for you, we do not charge you any legal fees.

If you have been injured, you are better off to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Our law firm prefers to be involved with our clients as early as possible after a crash.

You should consult with a personal injury lawyer before you give any statements or sign any papers. A personal injury lawyer will assist you to increase your chances of receiving fair compensation for your injuries.

There are various circumstances that affect which deadlines might apply, and how long you have to file a claim. The limitation dates can be very tight in some circumstances.

It is important to contact a lawyer to discuss the details of your accident as soon as possible to ensure steps are taken and a claim is filed within the appropriate time periods.

There is no certain time period required to settle a personal injury case. Each case is different. Some cases are settled more quickly than others.

We are always hopeful that our clients’ injuries turn out to be minor injuries that heal quickly. If it is a minor case, and the injuries heal well, the case will generally settle quite promptly after the healing takes place. More serious injuries generally take longer.

The timeline of a case generally depends on (1) how your injuries progress and the rate at which you heal (we will not want to present your case until we know your long term prognosis); and (2) how long it takes to fully document the evidence for your case (including, medical and wage loss documentation).

Your family physician plays an important role in determining the progress of your injuries. You should see your doctor on a regular basis to update him or her on your progress. If there is any substantial change in your condition – such as you being unable to continue working, or to complete household tasks, or your treatment plan is no longer helping improve your symptoms, – then you should notify your family physician as soon as possible. Sometimes your doctor will tell you when he or she will need to see you next, other times your doctor might refer you to a specialist and then you and your family doctor are often waiting until that appointment takes place. Your family physician can only give us a report based on what you have told him or her, based on their examination of you, and based on your response to the treatments he or she has suggested for you.

If you are still having problems arising from your injuries, but you do not see your family physician for several months, your doctor’s conclusion may be that you have fully recovered. You should therefore keep your family physician reasonably up to date on your condition.

Not necessarily. We prepare each case as though it will go to court and as the case moves along, it is set for trial. As the trial date nears, negotiations almost always take place. Most personal injury cases settle without going to court.