Car Accident Lawyer Surrey
More than 270,000 car accidents are reported in British Columbia every year. Each of these reported claims are filed and assessed by the ICBC. The ICBC can provide coverage for your accident and injuries, though the coverage available may be quite limited. Without consulting a personal injury lawyer, your car accident claims can be drawn out, stressful and exhausting. A car accident lawyer helps to make sure your accident claims are never taken advantage of and that your settlement reflects the true nature of your needs.
Let the ICBC lawyers and personal injury experts at Ng Sidhu Law help with your Surrey car accident claim needs. We can ensure that your claim and our services best represent your needs from start to finish.
At The Scene Of The Crash
When the crash has just taken place, chances are you will be quite shaken up. Though, two things that are key to a successful claim must be attained at the scene of the accident.
- Contact Information: Names, addresses, phone numbers and licence numbers of all those involved in the accident should be obtained. Vehicle plate numbers for locally registered vehicles and insurance company names for vehicles registered outside British Columbia need to be obtained. Collect names and contact information for any witnesses. Notes or photos can make this an efficient process.
- Evidence: Consider taking pictures of the damages so that future or past damages are not included in the claim. Obtain the names of the vehicle owners and their insurance information details. Make sure that you look closely at driver licences to ensure the license and information is correct. Make some quick notes about the accident before leaving the scene. This can help with initial legal consultations and with police statements.
Impaired Driving Lawyer
Determining who is at fault plays a major role in assessing the legitimacy of your claim and the estimated settlement amount. If you aren’t at fault, you must be able to prove this using the Motor Vehicle Act. These are 3 accident situations and examples of how to prove driver fault:
- Rear-End Collisions – The Motor Vehicle Act section 162 requires a driver to follow at safe distances. Failing to do so, can result in rear-end collisions. Take notes and question witnesses about how closely you were being followed when the crash occurred to prove this fault.
- Failing To Stop – Running a stop sign, or sliding through the sign can result in serious collisions. Motor Vehicle Act Section 186 & 129 requires drivers to stop at stop signs and red lights. Utilise notes, police statements and witnesses to prove this was the cause of your collision.
- Turn Collisions – Section 174 of the Motor Vehicle Act discusses the “right of way” at left turns. When an improper right turn is made the oncoming drive still has the responsibility to avoid any collisions. Turn collisions can commonly result in a split fault.
Drunk driving, speeding, hit& run, distracted driving and disobeying traffic signals are all in violation of the Motor Vehicle Act and can directly cause automotive accidents to occur. .
Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents can result in several different injuries. Head and neck injuries, in the form of whiplash and concussions, can be the most common car crash injury type. Other injuries that car accidents can cause are:
- Broken Bones
- Lacerations or Other Wounds
- Torn Ligaments or Tendons
- Herniated Disk or Other Back Issues
- Chronic Joint Pain
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Skull And Facial Injuries
Low-Velocity Impact Collisions
Minor car accidents can still cause injuries. Though, when accidents happen at slow speeds and cause less than $2,000 damage to the vehicle, it can be classified as a Low-Velocity Impact (LVI). LVIs can be thrown out by the ICBC, as the crash is deemed not severe enough the result in serious injuries. If you physician find objective signs of injury sourced to the accident this can overcome a LVI. LVIs can also be overturned if you are able to show pre-existing conditions that may have worsened the injury caused. Small details like vehicle direction, collision angles, seating posture, road conditions, car type and more can also have an impact in appealing a LVI ruling. For a professional car accident or truck accident lawyer in Surrey trust Ng Sidhu Law.