Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta Personal Injury Lawyers, Car & Motorcycle Accident Claims

Every year, over 4000 people in Fort Saskatchewan get into accidents which cause severe injuries. If you’re one of them, you may swiftly find that Medicaid won’t cover everything. In fact, the costs of trying to recover from your accident can be catastrophic for the family finances.

If the other driver was at-fault for the accident or mostly at-fault then you may have everything you need to solve the problem. You can make a car or motorcycle accident claim and recover compensation for your financial losses.

Who should sue after a car or motorcycle accident?

You should consider launching a personal injury lawsuit if you know you are not-at-fault for the accident. You should also consider doing so if you have severe injuries like lacerations, broken bones, spinal injuries, or brain injuries. The more severe your injuries, the more help you will need getting insurance companies to offer a fair settlement.

The more expensive your case the more insurance companies will fight against you. They’ll work to place more responsibility on your shoulders. They’ll accuse you of exaggerating your pain and suffering. They’ll look to shave every dollar off the value of your case. You’ll need tough litigators and savvy negotiators to help you win.

How soon should you call in a personal injury lawyer?

Insurance companies would like you to wait as long as possible. They’ll imply you can’t call in a lawyer until you’ve reached maximum medical improvement, all in the hopes of making you delay until the statute of limitations runs out.

You have just two years to file your case, and you can do so at any time. You can call in a lawyer the day of an accident if you want to, and in many cases it’s better to do so. We can deal both with your insurance company and the other driver’s. This will ensure you don’t say, do, or sign anything that could put a stop to your case.

We can’t start negotiating your settlement until you’ve reached MMI, but there are a lot of other things we can do. For example, we can start putting together the facts of your case. We can take depositions and gather evidence. We can create a foundation for bringing your case to a successful conclusion. We can protect you and your interests.

How much is my car or motorcycle accident case worth?

Every personal injury case is different. The average personal injury settlement in Alberta is $75,000. Yours may be worth more or less based on the extent of your injuries and the impact they have on your life.

A fair settlement will start by tallying up the sum total of your economic damages as well as your pain and suffering award.

Economic damages include all of your medical bills up to the point of your maximum medical improvement, plus the projected costs of your long-term care needs. If you lost income while recovering economic damages cover these weeks of lost wages as well. If you can no longer work you should receive a projected amount for your loss of earning capacity so you can cover your expenses in the future.

Pain and suffering awards are more negotiable amounts. They’re based on the severity of your injuries and the impact they’re going to have on your life in the future. In Alberta these awards are capped at $370,000. The amount you receive will depend in part on your lawyer’s negotiation skills, or your lawyer’s ability to convince a jury to be more sympathetic to you and your situation in the rare event that your case goes all the way to trial.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure your bills are paid and your needs are met. 

Are motorcycle cases significantly different from car accident cases?

Yes, and if you’re going to win your motorcycle case you need a lawyer with extensive experience with motorcycle accident claims. 

Motorcycle cases tend to come with extensive injuries, which means plaintiffs rely on their lawyers more than they do in a standard car accident case. This also means defendants are working twice as hard to avoid paying. They will do everything they can to pin responsibility for the accident onto the rider’s shoulders. 

Insurance companies are often aided in this goal by the fact that riders face significant stigma. There are many people in Alberta who feel the very act of riding a motorcycle is a negligent act. Even if this doesn’t mean losing your case entirely this could mean losing hundreds of thousands of dollars as your “percentage of fault” edges upwards. Alberta is a comparative negligence province, which means your award can be slashed by the percentage of fault you’re ultimately awarded.

You need a lawyer who knows how to work around these challenges. You also need a lawyer with the experience to start building a case without getting a lot of information directly from you on the day of the accident. Most riders are unconscious or are far too injured after their accident to gather information or take photos of the accident site. This can give the defendant, insurance company a head start. A skilled motorcycle accident lawyer knows how to overcome this hurdle, but this is the kind of benefit that only comes from experience.

Get Help Today

We have offices conveniently located in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Airdrie, and Cochrane. We also serve clients all across Alberta including Lethbridge, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Spruce Grove, Lloydminster, Leduc, Okotoks, Fort Saskatchewan, Chestermere, Camrose, Beaumont, Stony Plain, Sylvan Lake, Brooks, Strathmore, High River, Canmore, Morinville, Whitecourt, Hinton, Olds, and Blackfalds.

The lawyers at Merchant Law have decades of experience in car and motorcycle accident cases. We serve Fort Saskatchewan and areas throughout Alberta. 

You don’t have to pay a retainer or an exorbitant hourly fee. We don’t get paid until we’ve brought your case to a successful conclusion. Call (780) 474-4878 to schedule a risk-free, no-obligation consultation today. We’re responsive, skilled, and empathetic to your needs. Call now.