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Can we help you? |

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We work with those unfortunate victims of
someone else's negligence - those who have suffered personal injuries or have
become disabled as a result of those injuries. Cases involve both physical
injuries, some of which are catastrophic (like brain injuries or paraplegia),
and some emotional (like nervous shock or post-traumatic stress disorder). We
represent families who have lost loved ones to accidents and advance claims for
loss of guidance, services or financial support.
Although we most commonly deal with motor
vehicle accidents, we also represent those who have been injured on someone
else's premises due to unsafe conditions, or who have been injured due to a
product defect.
If you find yourself in such an
unfortunate situation, we can help you.
People who have been
injured often try to deal directly with an insurance adjuster, at a time when
they are at a tremendous disadvantage. They do not know the legal rules that
govern their compensable recovery, or that early involvement by legal counsel
is extremely important.
You will appreciate our early
participation. Where liability is an issue, accident reconstruction engineers
must often be involved at the outset. Robert Clarke's engineering background
allows him to understand and assist in the investigation of technical issues
around the accident.
We deal directly with the adjuster, so you
can focus on healing, and getting on with your life plan.
ICBC and other insurance companies hire
lawyers to represent them. Unlike some other law firms that act for
these insurance companies (including ICBC) on some files and against
insurance companies on other files, we do not work for ICBC or other
insurance companies at all.
We work on a contingency fee basis. This
means that our fees are a percentage of the final recovery. The client pays no
fees initially or during the claims process. Our fees are paid from the
compensation received upon settlement or trial.
This is what we will do for you.
1. Determination of
Fault Initially, and crucial to the case, we do a thorough accident
investigation. We interview witnesses, obtain RCMP reports, and hospital
records.
If necessary we hire an engineer to
provide an accident reconstruction opinion. This may be essential in cases
where there is a dispute as to how the accident happened, whether a seat belt
was worn or whether the victim reacted appropriately in the
circumstances.
2. Initial steps of Recovery
We work to provide the victim with any accident benefits available
through their insurer. With most motor vehicle accidents in BC, ICBC has an
obligation to pay medical expenses and wage loss benefits to injured people no
matter who was at fault. We make sure those benefits are paid.
3. As Recovery Completes or
Plateaus At some stage the victim will either have fully recovered or
will have reached a plateau where his/her future can be predicted. We will then
research the victim's compensation and attempt to negotiate settlement with the
negligent party. Various areas of compensation such as pain and suffering, past
and future loss of income, medical expenses and costs of future care are all
researched, investigated and calculated by our firm. Additional expertise, such
as Occupational Therapists, Economists, Vocational Consultants,
Neuropsychologists, Psychiatrists and Medical Specialists will be retained
where required.
4. Conclusion We take your
case from inception to conclusion. We draft pleadings, gather documents, attend
and give examinations for discovery, prepare and attend at trial. A high
percentage of these cases settle prior to trial. |