If you are a car owner in the city of Toronto, then you know from firsthand experience: the roads can get pretty crazy. While the winter can pose many unique challenges with poor visibility, slippery roads and freezing rain, the spring and summer also have their own unique pitfalls. Primarily, summer traffic can get out of hand when people are converging on a baseball game downtown or heading up to Algonquin or Muskoka for camping or a weekend at the cottage. With Victoria Day long weekend on the horizon, you can expect to see the OPP out in full force ticketing Ontario drivers on the 400 and 401 (Torontonians are notorious for driving too fast) and doing ride checks – Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere – to discourage people from getting behind the wheel when they’ve had one too many.
The sad truth is that while most people out there are responsible, conscientious drivers, there are a few terrible drivers that pose a threat to everyone. Thus, no matter how cautious you are, there’s always an outside chance that you will be involved in an accident. This unfortunate fact will hopefully encourage you to be even more mindful on the road and practice defensive driving wherever possible. Until such a time as Google or Tesla have perfected the self-driving car and reduced accidents to virtually zero, car crashes are a statistical certainty; if you’re involved in an accident this summer, get a professional legal team working for you and make sure you are fairly compensated!
In the wake of an automobile accident, it’s important to act quickly and establish several pieces or information. If any or all of the following is true, call 911 immediately:
- Anyone appears to be seriously injured
- the damage to either vehicle appears to be in excess of $2,000
- Anyone involved in the accident appears to be in violation of the criminal code (typically by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol)
If you do not need to call 911, get out of your car, take extensive pictures of the damage and exchange information with the other party. If there are any witnesses who saw the crash clearly, get their information as well. If it’s safe, you can then move your vehicle out of the road so that traffic can resume as normal. If you are not in need of medical attention, call your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident – the sooner the better, as the details will be fresh in your mind. Once you’ve spoken to a representative from your insurance company, you may want to consult with a Toronto based slip and fall lawyer from Goodman Elbassiouni LLP who also specializes in auto collisions.
In Ontario, the Accident Benefits System is the branch of government responsible for making sure that you are paid out by your insurance company – or the insurance company of any other individual involved – in the wake of an accident. The benefits can cover rehabilitation and medical benefits for physiotherapy, chiropractic care, massage and income replacement benefits while you are disabled and unable to work.
The second course of action is to take legal action against the driver who is at fault, and if this is an avenue you choose to pursue, you will most certainly want to seek the counsel of a top-notch WSIB lawyer from the Goodman Elbassiouni LLP.
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