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When I was young, there wasn’t such a thing as a cool pair of winter boots. There certainly wasn’t such a thing as a must have winter jacket. Wait a minute. There was such thing. First it was the “SunIce” ski jacket which was very popular. Then, it became the black team apparel “Starter” jackets with hoods branding such teams as the Chicago Bulls or the LA Raiders; which had their logo on the breast and across the back of the coat. Am I dating myself? Perhaps.

But, for the purpose of this Toronto Injury Blog post, dating myself doesn’t matter.

Winter apparel has always been an industry in and of itself. I just think that it’s blown up in the past few years. Yesterday, Canada’s biggest name in winter gear, Canada Goose sold a majority stake in their family owned/operated company to US Venture Capitalists, Bain Capital. The same Bain Capital that Mitt Romney ran. Details of how much money the deal was for have yet to be disclosed, but from what I understand, the deal is worth somewhere in the 9 figures. If the people at Bain are willing to invest over $100 million in to a winter apparel company, then that should tell you something about Canada Goose’s product and brand.

But, Brian, how on earth does this relate to personal injury law?
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When I show clients their files, often; they are astounded by the amount of paper involved in handling their case.

Even in a “paperless system“, we still print medical records, medical reports, pleadings etc. for mediation memos, briefs and Affidavits of Documents. At the end of the day, personal injury law involves a LOT of paper.

One of the most important pieces of paper which accident victims will likely sign in the course of their case is something called a “Release“. If you’re signing a Release, that means that like 99% of civil cases out there; that your case has settled outside of Court. Congrats.

A lot of our clients get worried when they’re asked by an insurer to sign a Release. They think that they’re signing their lives away by signing it. That should not be the case. Your lawyer should explain to you exactly what you’re signing, and why you’re signing it.
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When one of our clients is asked how much they think their case for pain and suffering is worth, they will often tell you that it’s worth $1,000,000 or more. It’s understandable why anyone would put such a high price on their own individual pain and suffering. Can you really put a price on these damages?

Canadian Courts have.

Unfortunately, the system for quantifying damages for pain and suffering is unfair to accident victims in Canada. Why? Because it’s impossible, at law, anywhere in Canada, to recover $1,000,000 or more for you pain and suffering.

It’s this way because back in 1978, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on three decisions, commonly referred to as “the trilogy“.

In those cases, the Supreme Court established a cap (or limit) for damages for pain and suffering. Back in 1978, that cap was placed at $100,000. Today, with inflation, that cap is around $350,000. This is the absolute MAXIMUM which you can recover for your pain and suffering in Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada established this cap because they did not want our civil justice system, turning in to a free for all legal system like you see in many parts of the United States.

So, even at trial, if a jury awards you $1,000,000 for damages for your pain and suffering, the Judge will then limit that award to $350,000 or below. The Judge would probably instruct the Jury to return to the deliberation room and come back with another figure for damages for pain and suffering.
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Lots of people think that all lawyers do all day is talk. It’s a a common misconception. Perhaps, there are some lawyers who spend their entire days talking; but not me.

The majority of my day is spent listening. I listen to Judges. I listen to Masters. I listen to other lawyers. I listen to insurance adjusters. But, most importantly, I listen to my clients and to prospective clients telling me their stories.

Every day I’m told from my clients how they’re struggling managing their pain; how they’re struggling making ends meet; how they’re feeling down and sad since their accident; and how their accident has turned their life upsidown.

Accident victims have lots to say about their case, how it happened, and what their injuries are. Their testimony is important, and can be very persuasive to insurers, judges and juries. But, sometimes, the MOST PERSUASIVE evidence isn’t verbal; it’s written and hidden in the scribbles. What do I mean by that? Read on and find out.
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If you or a family member is the victim of a fall on snow, ice, or slippery winter conditions, the following Toronto Injury Law Blog Post is a “must read“.

If you’re just a legal keener interested in somewhat educational legal read, this Blog Post is “pretty cool”; as the kids would say.

It’s not just little old ladies who slip, fall and hurt themselves during the winter months. It happens to everyone, of all ages, shapes and sizes. Physically fit, or not so trim. It doesn’t matter. Snow and ice doesn’t discriminate.

First thing you should know, and which you or a loved one should do after a winter slip and fall is take a picture of the area where you slipped and fell. Chances are that if you don’t the area will have changed significantly. Guilty property owners are notorious for clearing up patches of ice after the fact.
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Yes. I know. Cute Game of Thrones reference. Which, by the way, season # 4 is scheduled to begin in early 2014 and…spoiler alert…the first episode will feature the death of an important character. Who you ask? You’ll have to wait and see.

In any event, the temperature is dropping across Ontario. I visited the Peterborough Regional Health Sciences Centre earlier this week and it was COLD. I was in Mississauga Friday for a discovery and it was COLD. I was in London this week and it was COLD. A client of mine from the Kitchener-Waterloo area told me that it had snowed 10cm overnight. I’m told that it was snowing in Barrie and in parts of Northern Ontario. Winter’s coming to the Province, if it’s not already here.

So, before the streets and sidewalks get too messy to drive on, here’s a friendly reminder of what you should do in order to be safe this winter on our roads.
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Happy Halloween from Goldfinger Injury Lawyers! Halloween’s a fun Hallmark Holiday which everyone can enjoy. I remember getting really excited to go out trick or treating and returning home with bags full of candy.

But, in my years of work, I’ve seen some nasty accidents which occurred on Halloween night. Trip and falls, pedestrian/car collisions, drunk driving accidents. Where I grew up, there was also a fatality where a driver lost control of his car and collided with a tree. The driver didn’t survive the crash.

Nasty things happen on Halloween night. Don’t believe me? Here’s an interesting assault case and social host liability case based around a young adult party at a parents’ home which got out of hand on Halloween night. The case was tried at the Superior Court in Ontario. The young adult hosts served 56 bottles of beer, 24 bottles of vodka coolers, along with 2 bottles of rum, one bottle of vodka and a bottle of peach schnapps. Guests also brought their own alcohol. An assault ensued at the party, and the young adult host, along with the parents who owned the house got sued by the victim. It’s an interesting read and just goes to show that some crazy stuff happens on Halloween night.
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There is a cost to justice when you pay your lawyer by the hour. And that cost doesn’t come cheap.

Personal Injury Lawyers are the only lawyers I know who routinely and without blinking, take on cases which last years and years on end, without getting paid on an interim basis. We don’t ask for any monetary retainers. Essentially, we take the case for free and then, through skill, wit, hard work, experience and determination; achieve a monetary settlement or secure a judgment for our clients.

I cannot think of any other business or industry which operates on such a model. Want to get your house painted? The painter will likely ask that you pay a deposit, or pay for some materials up front. It’s only after the painter receives that deposit that the painter will begin to work. The painter will then get paid the balance upon completion of the job.

When you visit the dentist, they invoice you or your insurer immediately after treatment. If you’re not happy with the dentist’s work, the invoice still comes. There’s never any real risk that the dentist won’t get paid.
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Cycling is cool. It’s not expensive. It’s fast. It’s healthy. You don’t need a license or insurance to ride. It’s better for the environment. It’s “on trend” in today’s global urban market. And if you’re smart, you can accessorize with a flashy (yet safe) helmet and make all of your peers jealous.

But cycling accidents aren’t cool. They hurt. In an accident involving car vs. bike, it doesn’t take a forensic engineer to understand why the cyclist will usually come out with the most serious injuries. 600lb car vs. 20lb bike? Brain Injury, broken bones, fractured ribs, road rash aren’t uncommon. Some of the most catastrophic accidents we see at our law firm involve cyclists.

Space to operate cars and bikes on urban Canadian streets is coming at a premium. With so many commuters operating in close quarters, accidents are bound to happen.

We’ve seen a new phenomenon of late. The term “dooring” is entering the personal injury lexicon. Never heard of dooring? That’s ok. It’s a relatively new word.

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What’s an Examination for Discovery?

This is an opportunity for the lawyer for the insurance company to ask you all sorts of questions, while under oath, about your accident case.

It’s called an Examination for Discovery because the purpose of the exercise is to “discover” more about you, your injuries, the accident, and your case.

It’s the first, and likely the only time that the lawyer for the insurance company will get to meet with you, face to face, and ask you questions under oath. It’s important to make a good impression at discovery. Why you ask? Well, if you don’t present well, or if you don’t come off as a likeable, credible, or geniune person, then it’s likely the lawyer for the insurance company will report this back to his principals. They will likely devalue your case, or make it a more difficult one to settle.
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