If you have sustained injuries as the result of a car accident in Ontario, provincial law says you are entitled to benefits, including medical bills, rehabilitation or attendant care, lost wages at work and lost competitive advantage, and other benefits.

If you have suffered catastrophic injuries, you may also be entitled to further damages, such as compensation for pain and suffering, future lost wages and future medical expenses.

Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) can be devastating events, leaving drivers and passengers involved traumatized and unable to take the correct steps toward compensation. Our motor vehicle accident lawyers’ high-success rate when it comes to car accident claims and lawsuits in the Greater Toronto Area make us the best strategy for getting you the monetary benefits you’re entitled to.

Motor vehicle Accident Benefits mandatory in Ontario

Whether you are insured or not does not matter. Whether the at-fault driver is insured or not does not matter. Under Ontario’s no-fault law all victims are covered—even if no one involved in the accident is insured. As a victim your benefits could amount to anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million, not including your right to proceed with a civil lawsuit seeking further damages. It is important to remember, however, that even though your injuries are financially compensated under Ontario law, the insurance company you will be claiming under may try to reject some of your benefits.

The accident benefits to which you may be entitled include, but are not limited to:

· Medical expenses

· Rehabilitation

· Income replacement

· Attendant care

· Lost tuition fees

· Assistance devices

With more than 35 years’ experience in the field of Ontario motor vehicle accidents, our MVA MVA attorneys know how to get you all of the compensation your injuries merit. We will begin filing your motor vehicle accident claim with the proper entities, as well as dealing with the attending police, medical examiners, and physical therapists—so you don’t have to.

No one should be denied full coverage if they have been the victim of a motor vehicle accident—and it is our mission statement to fight for you, making sure none of your injuries are denied appropriate recompense.

How our car accident lawyers assist you in your accident claim

After an Ontario car accident, time is critical. There are more than 20 forms—some lengthy and confusing—the victim must file to be eligible for what’s called the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, or SABS for short. This schedule outlines who is eligible for what and offers a standard of rules for benefits. No matter who was at fault for the accident, or whether both parties were at fault, SABS ensures any victim injured in a motor vehicle accident receive accident benefits. This applies even to cyclists and pedestrians involved in MVAs.

Our lawyers will provide you with the proper forms you need to fill out for SABS, make sure you are well within your deadlines in filing, and we make sure they are processed by the proper authorities, fast-tracking you to a successful car accident claim. And, when deemed a possible avenue of recompense, we can commence a lawsuit against the at-fault party of your accident, allowing you to further payment for damages like pain and suffering.

Determining fault in a motor vehicle accident

Ontario’s no-fault law levels the playing field for insurance companies, making them all abide by the SABS when it comes to car accident victims. If you were a driver involved in an auto accident, depending upon what percentage of fault is determined to be yours by the insurance company, your insurance premiums and any benefits beyond your statutory ones may or may not be affected.

How insurance companies determine fault can be a contentious issue in court. Our lawyers will help navigate your claim through any and all obstacles preventing you from receiving your full coverage.

When none of the parties involved in the accident are insured, coverage for victims comes from the provinces “payer of last resort”, the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund (MVACF). It should be mentioned though, that at-fault drivers involved in an accident claiming financial compensation through the MVACF, could later face the MVACF in court if the entity tries to recover their payout.

Possible changes to Ontario’s Auto Insurance Act

Last year, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario outlined what they thought necessary legislative alterations. Some of the major changes include eliminating the deductible for claims involving a car accident fatality—something lauded by families who lost a loved one in a car accident.

The McGuinty government has put together a package of 41 proposed reforms to automobile insurance in Ontario, which would take effect in 2010. These changes would include amending the definition of catastrophic impairment, and expanding it to include single-limb amputees; the continued payment of attendant care benefit, and in cases where it has been unreasonably denied, payment even where no charges have been incurred; reducing tort deductibles to $20,000 for victims and $10,000 for family members, and eliminate them altogether in cases of fatalities.

As of November 2009, these reforms have yet to come into effect.