Client Testimonials

CC was in Las Vegas on vacation attending a Nascar race. While there she was struck by a car as she was crossing a road, legally, between the crosswalk markings, on a green light. The other vehicle struck her as the driver was making a left hand turn through the intersection. As a result of the accident CC suffered serious injuries. She suffered a significant injury to her head resulting in loss of consciousness and swelling of her brain. She was required to be airlifted to Ontario for medical treatment. We were successful in having her assessed as Catastrophically Impaired which provided her with access to a higher level of accident benefits. We were able to work with her medical treatment providers, and her employer, and eventually, through access to required medical treatment, CC was able to resume her preaccident work and most of her activities of daily living.

CC’s claim not only involved suing an out of country defendant, but we had to include her own insurer as well for underinsured coverage as the US driver only had $15,000.00 in coverage. In addition, there was a subrogated claim advanced by the out of country medical insurer and OHIP that had to be sorted out. We were able to resolve her claim through mediation after obtaining the necessary medical assessments to properly assess CC’s claim for damages

DS was involved in a head-on car accident collision that resulted in few physical injuries but he did suffer a significant blow to the head. This resulted in excess of 40 stitches to his forehead and around his eyes. The scarring healed very nicely but DS was left with the residual effects of a head injury. He managed to complete his Masters level education after the accident but the symptoms from the head injury made it extremely difficult for him to complete work in his desired field. He attempted some alternative employment but he was unable to complete the education or work required. His symptoms included recurrent headaches, fatigue, concentration problems and irritability. He had many difficulties in maintaining employment and certainly things were more difficult for him post car accident. After obtaining the appropriate medical reports, we were able to assist by resolving DS’s claim at a settlement mediation.

GM was injured in a rear end car accident while she was stopped at a traffic light. The estimated damage to her car was only $700.00. As a result of the car accident GM suffered soft tissue and whiplash injuries to her neck and shoulder which developed into chronic pain. GM was unable to continue with the physical aspects of her employment in a nursing home. She was able to return to lighter employment as a personal support worker for certain types of clients. Her new employment paid less than her pre-accident employment. Despite the low impact accident and a pre-accident medical history of back pain and depression, we were able to obtain medical assessments to show that GM’s current condition and difficulties with her employment and activities of daily living were directly related to the car accident.

Leslie Wright was involved in a single car accident. She was a passenger in a car that lost control, went off the roadway and struck a trunk. Leslie was injured in the accident along with another passenger. Leslie had cognitive impairments along with physical injuries including soft tissue injuries. The other passenger suffered a brain injury and required immediate surgery. This claim was complicated by the fact that the combination of the two claims (Leslie’s and the other passenger) against the driver exceeded the insurance policy limits. As a result, it was necessary to wait and see how Leslie and the other passenger would recover in order to better assess the future losses for each passenger. Once enough time had transpired, the parties arranged for a settlement meeting to resolve both claims. We were able to obtain useful reports from medical experts in order to demonstrate the impact of the injuries suffered by Leslie on her future ability to work and carry out her usual activities of daily living and recreational activities. With the use of the reports and presentation at the mediation, we were able to secure an excellent settlement for Leslie.

Donna W. was involved in a car accident when the car in which she was a passenger was rear ended by a pickup truck. The damage to her car was barely visible but the repair costs were approximately $1,000.00. Following the accident Donna suffered injury to her left shoulder and pain in her neck and upper back. Over time, Donna also began to suffer severe emotional difficulty. She experienced a variety of symptoms including nausea, dizziness, pain, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, concentration problems, driving phobia. Donna worked as an administrative assistant but her condition made it difficult for her to return to work. Working in conjunction with her health care providers, our firm was able to assist Donna in obtaining diagnosis and treatment. Following our work with respect to Donna’s ongoing medical condition, we were able to resolve her claim through negotiation and mediation.

RD was a pedestrian legally crossing a road when he was struck by a car crossing through the intersection. RD was 77 years old at the time of the car accident. The driver of the car failed to take proper precautions and the driver did not see RD crossing the road. RD suffered a brain injury and he had no memory of certain aspects of the accident or of his subsequent 7 day stay at the hospital. RD suffered a closed head injury with skull fracture resulting in bilateral subdural hematomas. He had ongoing symptoms which included dizziness, unsteadiness, humming noise and overall fogginess. Given RD’s age and related factors, it was decided that we would try and resolve his accident claim as early as possible. We arranged to obtain a full set of medical records as quickly as possible which was then forwarded to the adjuster. This information allowed us to negotiate an early settlement that was much to the satisfaction of RD.

D. Stager was involved in a car accident. Her car was struck on the driver side by another car. Initially D’s injuries appeared to be soft tissue in nature. However, D’s symptoms continued to expand including nausea and dizziness brought on by most activity. Eventually D’s medical condition was diagnosed as being related to a brain injury condition for which D obtained medical attention from a Toronto-area specialist. D underwent surgery but, unfortunately, this only resulted in marginal improvement to her condition. Working with D’s own accident benefit insurer, and the at-fault driver’s insurance company, we were able to work out a global settlement at mediation that considered D’s damages, including future losses, and future medical requirements.

Peter Jacques was involved in a car accident. His car was rear-ended by another car at fairly high speed. Peter suffered injury to his left elbow and shoulder as well as other soft tissue injuries. These injuries impacted on his activities in daily life and made it impossible for him to work in a strenuous factory environment, as he did before the accident. Through medical experts and a functional capacity evaluator retained by our firm, we were able to objectively demonstrate that Peter had sustained significant injuries as a result of the car accident. We were able to put the evidence together to show his injuries and the impact of those injuries on his ability to earn an income comparable to his pre-accident earnings. We were successful in resolving Peter’s case at mediation with the insurance company for the other driver and their counsel.

KL was involved in two separate car accidents. She was not at fault in either accident. The first car accident resulted in soft tissue injuries to her back and neck. She exacerbated the injuries in the second accident. She developed chronic pain in her back and neck which had a mild to moderate impact on her activities of daily living and recreational activities. She was a student in university at the time and was able to complete her studies and find employment in her desired field of work. She was able to work full time. She did feel some ongoing the symptoms arising from her injuries which included increased pain near the end of the day and fatigue. Despite some causation issues between the two insurers regarding the injuries and the impact of each accident, we were able to resolve both car accident claims.

DM was a paraplegic at the time of a single car accident. He was very independent prior to the accident. As a result of the accident he suffered a full tear in the rotator cuff of his left shoulder. Over time he also began to experience significant problems in his right shoulder due to overuse. He received accident benefits from his Accident Benefit insurer but the issue of Catastrophic Impairment had not been settled. We were able to obtain expert opinion that supported a designation of Catastrophic Impairment. The Accident Benefit insurer disputed this with their own expert opinion. Through an analysis of the expert reports, and negotiations, we were able to get the Accident Benefit insurer to lump out DM’s accident benefits at the Catastrophic Impairment level so that DM’s future was secure.

Jean Verhoeven was a passenger in a car that was stopped for traffic when her vehicle was rear ended by another car at high speed. Prior to the accident, Jean had a history of neck and back problems. After the accident Jean suffered an exacerbation of her neck and back symptoms. She was not able to carry out her usual activities of daily living. We were able to help Jean obtain a settlement of her claim despite the issues surrounding her pre-existing neck and back problems.

I.T. was a driver of a car that was T-boned by another car when the other car ran a flashing red light. I.T. was unconscious for about an hour. Following the accident, I.T. developed a number of persisting symptoms which included severe headaches, light sensitivity, lack of concentration, nausea and depression. There were some issues that arose regarding the extent of I.T.'s ability to function in activities of daily living and work. Despite the issues we were able to resolve I.T.’s matter through negotiation and reach a final settlement.

TW was involved in a car accident when she was hit on the passenger side by another car proceeding through a red light. There was some dispute as to whether the light was green or red but the other driver had been found guilty of proceeding through a red light and was precluded from raising the issue. As a result of the accident TW suffered soft tissue injury to her neck, pain radiating into her shoulders and low back pain; headaches; cognitive difficulties; and sleep disruption. Prior to the car accident TW was very active with recreational activities and had operated her own accounting business. After the accident she was forced to give up most of her recreational activities and was unable to work in her business as she had prior to the car accident. We were able to resolve TW’s claim through settlement negotiations with the liability insurer.

JG was involved in a car accident when he was rear ended by a gravel truck. He developed back and neck pain. JG’s case became somewhat complicated when he developed a vertigo condition approximately 6 months after the accident. Causation was a significant issue. By arranging a multi-party settlement mediation involving the liability insurer, the accident benefit insurer and the disability insurer, we were able to negotiate a satisfactory settlement that provided JG with financial breathing room and an opportunity to develop a new career.

IP was involved in a car accident. While proceeding through an intersection he was struck on the passenger side. His vehicle was written off by his insurer. IP operated his own painting business. Following the accident he started having difficulty with the physical aspects of the business. He was also experienced a number of disabilitating symptoms including dizziness. An MRI disclosed some issues in the brain stem and we were able to provide IP with information regarding a specialist for his particular condition. An operation followed.

One issue we sought to prove was the extent to which the accident-related injuries affected IP’s ability to operate his business, given that he was still able to run his business after the accident. We were able to outline how revenues started declining after the accident. We were also able to demonstrate, through various experts, the physical limitations that IP was suffering from as a result of the accident. After putting together a thorough mediation and medical brief, and preparing a strong presentation at mediation, we were able to resolve the claim for IP at that mediation.

L.P. was involved in a car accident where she was rear-ended by another car. As a result of the accident she suffered a slight herniation to her neck and was experiencing some numbness, tingling and weakness in her upper arm. L.P. did not pursue the claim until she had almost reached the two year anniversary of her claim. We were able to assist in getting some medical assessment done prior to the limitation date and based on that information we issued a claim to preserve her right to sue for damages. A settlement mediation was arranged with the insurer for the other driver. Based on the medical documentation arranged, a thorough review of the impact of the injuries on L.P. ability to continue with her pre-accident employment and her activities of daily living and related evidence, we were able to negotiate a mutually agreeable settlement on L.P.’s behalf.

A.D. was involved in a serious car accident where several passengers were injured. The claim involved multiple plaintiffs with various injuries. A.D. suffered a head injury and soft tissue injury that developed into chronic pain. A.D. was originally represented by a lawyer that was representing another plaintiff. Given the seriousness of the injuries, it was clear that this could lead to a conflict for the lawyer and A.D.’s file was transferred to our firm. We were able to get all the parties back on track, obtain updated medicals and future loss assessments, and bring the matter to a final and satisfactory conclusion at a mediation involving all the parties.

DB is a retiree who was injured in a slip and fall accident. Ice had formed in front of the entrance door to the condominium where he lived. The owner claimed that someone had placed water in the area to freeze and refused to consider settlement of the claim. We were able to show that the ice buildup was the result of a poor design in the canopy over the entrance which allowed water to accumulate in the entranceway. This resulted in unsafe walking conditions. DB received compensation for pain and suffering, future loss of income for his part-time employment and some future medical care.

IK was involved in a slip and fall accident. She was in the parking lot of a fast food establishment and slipped on some ice. The insurer wanted to attribute a large proportion of the liability to our client. We were able to show that the tenant, who was responsible for clearing the snow and ice, failed to properly maintain the premises, and that they did not have a proper plan or procedure for snow and ice removal in place. We were able to settle the matter through negotiation with the adjuster.

SJ was involved in a slip and fall accident on the front steps of her apartment building. There was some question as to the exact location of the fall as there appeared to be some inconsistencies in SJ’s account of events. The accident occurred in the winter and, through the use of an accident reconstruction expert, we were able to show that, as a result of a thaw-freeze cycle in the weather, ice could build up in the area of the fall. Further, the landlord was unable to demonstrate any procedures or plan for the maintenance of the snow and ice build up in the area of the entrance. Our forensic engineer was also able to show that the front stairs did not conform to the local bylaws as a railing should have been installed for the tenants' overall safety. Through the presentation of this supporting evidence we were able to negotiate a settlement to the satisfaction of our client.

JR was delivering newspapers when he slipped and fell on ice at the residence where he was delivering the newspaper. The homeowners did not maintain their property in good condition and considerable ice and snow had built up. As a result of the failure of the homeowner to properly maintain the property, JR slipped and broke his forearm. He was able to make a good recovery and eventually returned to his work. We were able to negotiate a settlement with the insurance adjuster with only a small amount of negligence attributed to JR for slipping on the ice.

David Wright was a small business entrepreneur who suffered from a disability that required him to discontinue his business. He had a disability insurance policy in the event that he was to discontinue working. His disability insurer initially approved benefits and then subsequently terminated his benefits despite medical evidence from David that confirmed his ongoing disability. David had attempted some return to work but it was unsuccessful. David had attempted to negotiate with his insurer but he was not getting anywhere. With additional medical documentation and proper presentation of the issues, we were able to settle David’s disability claim with his insurer.

Michelle Wartman was involved in a terrible accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. While sleeping in her cottage, which was under construction, she had a sleep walking incident and fell down 10 feet to the main floor from her loft bedroom. She had a disability plan through her employer that had an accidental injury component that paid her two times her salary should she become paralyzed from an accident. She applied for the benefit but was informed by the insurer that, due to a prior sleep walking incident that was reported in her family doctor’s notes and records several years earlier, her fall was the result of a pre-existing sleep walking condition and therefore not covered by her disability policy. Our disability lawyers became involved and through the use of her medical documentation and negotiation with her disability insurer, we were able to help her recover full payment on the policy.

J.G. was involved in a single vehicle accident. She was the passenger on a motorcycle that was driven by her husband. Her husband lost control of the motorcycle and J.G. was left with a moderate to serious brain injury. She was functional physically and able to get around, visit and carry out some recreational activity but she was clearly limited in her cognitive abilities and unable to return to her pre-accident work. We were able to deal with the delicate matter of her husband being at fault and, through a global mediation involving her accident benefit insurer and the tort insurer, we were able to secure a settlement that would provide security for her future.