Latest News Articles

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Ontario Rehab Alliance

We will undoubtedly see fellow Ontarians, whose horrific crashes result in quadriplegia, severe brain injuries and amputations, live the rest of their lives with little or no dignity. The future of their children, wives, husbands or parents will be forever changed as they have to rededicate their lives to being full-time caregivers in light of these deep cuts to the benefits.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?Date=2015-05-19&ParlCommID=8997&BillID=3295&Business=&locale=en&DocumentID=29093#P814_208227

Ontario Spinal Cord Injury Solutions Alliance

We hope you take this testimony seriously and really encourage our government to look at these auto insurance benefits and their thresholds because we feel that we can provide support in that. The budget can’t go through with just the 50% reduction. It will destroy people’s lives and we will be more dependent on the health care and public system. We hope that you can consider making amendments to this Bill 91 to ensure that people are having the appropriate services under the catastrophic injury legislation.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2015-05-20&ParlCommID=8997&BillID=3295&Business=&DocumentID=29100#P840_221592

McLeish Orlando

If there still have to be further savings, and if that needs to be done outside—we have to have a profitable insurance product, absolutely, but if more savings have to be done, don’t do it on the backs of the quadriplegics and the severe traumatic brain injuries. Look elsewhere to make your savings. Look at changing the system, procedural changes so that it’s easier for people to make claims without lawyering up. There are all kinds of different avenues.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2015-05-20&ParlCommID=8997&BillID=3295&Business=&DocumentID=29100#P462_113845

Association of Independent Assessment Centres

The AIAC supports the revision of the definition of “catastrophic impairment.” That being said, there are currently only a few hundred properly trained and qualified experts in Ontario to conduct these complex and important assessments. In the event that there is any change, there should be an appropriate rollout period allowing for proper training and certification.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2015-05-20&ParlCommID=8997&BillID=3295&Business=&DocumentID=29100#P643_164829

For years, Ontario’s spendthrift, deficit-addicted Liberal government has resembled a runaway train racing toward a sharp curve on a mountain pass. Anyone watching knew a wreck was inevitable — unless someone, somehow regained control of that great, roaring machine.

http://www.mississauga.com/opinion-story/5574399-sousa-s-budget-deserves-support/

In your driving history, there may eventually be a time that you will be involved in an auto accident that may involve injury and damaged. The next step will be to file a claim with your insurance representative or company. This article will explain how the claim process works.

http://www.ratelab.ca/accident-claim-process/

Here’s a snippet from Supreme Court Justice Andromache Karakatsanis in a 2014 case: “(Undue) process and protracted trials, with unnecessary expense and delay, can prevent the fair and just resolution of disputes. The full trial has become largely illusory because, except where government funding is available, ordinary Canadians cannot afford to access the adjudication of civil disputes. … Prompt judicial resolution of legal disputes allows individuals to get on with their lives. But, when court costs and delays become too great, people look for alternatives or simply give up on justice.”

http://www.journalpioneer.com/Opinion/Columnists/2015-05-22/article-4155586/EASTERN-PASSAGES%3A-Gold-plated-justice/1

Intact Insurance has some great television commercials where an terrible accident happens (like a car driving in to a swimming pool); followed by a scene involving an insurance policy holder calling the insurer over the phone. The next scene is that of a well lit and pleasant call centre whereby an insurance agent from Intact proceeds to collect that person’s information and open up a claim in 5 minutes or less. Pretty impressive! The ad is meant to show the ease and speed in which Intact can open a file and process your claim.

http://www.torontoinjurylawyerblog.com/2015/05/note-taking-and-insurance-claims-they-go-hand-in-hand-ontario.html

Members of the Ontario Health Coalition and their supporters staged a peaceful demonstration outside of Liberal Cabinet Minister Ted McMeekin’s Waterdown constituency office on May 22 as part of the group’s escalating campaign against hospital cuts.

http://www.flamboroughreview.com/news-story/5640483-ontario-health-coalition-calls-on-government-to-stop-the-cuts-/

In the legal industry, we often see cases where both drivers involved in a motor vehicle accident believed they had the right of way. These accidents could likely have been avoided had each driver had a better understanding of the law and the rules of the road.

http://oatleyvigmond.com/yellow-light-and-left-hand-turn-accidents-whos-at-fault/#.VV-dBPBqS1A

Save the Date: Rally June 3 at Queen’s Park to be confirmed next week!

Sign the petition – 18,123 people have already signed it!

https://www.change.org/p/ontario-mpps-finance-minister-charles-sousa-stop-reducing-ontario-accident-benefits/u/10734693

Finance Minister Charles Sousa recently announced the following proposed changes to the standard benefit level:

-$1 million coverage for medical and rehabilitation benefits and $1 million for attendant care benefits for catastrophically impaired persons to be reduced to half and combined

-Non-catastrophic benefits to be reduced from $86,000 to $65,000

-Medical and rehabilitation benefits for non-catastrophically injured persons will be available for only 5 years instead of 10

-Non-earner benefits (available for students or recent graduates) limited to two years

These proposed changes are unethical, especially considering Ontarians overpaid $840 million in 2013 and $3-4 billion from 2001-2013.

And unless we speak up, changes to our Accident Benefits could continue to take hits. It takes a lot to recover from a serious injury and many will be impaired for the entirety of their lives.

Please sign this petition, pass along, and contact your local MPP.

No fault accident benefits were supposed to compensate Ontario drivers for the significant reduction in their right to sue. 20 years ago when the right to sue for car accidents was restricted to serious and permanent injuries, the quid pro quo was a generous amount of benefits to cover lost income, caregiver and housekeeping help and medical care.

http://otlablog.com/only-the-rich-can-afford-lower-car-insurance-premiums/