Okotoks Personal Injury Lawyers Car and Motorcycle Accident Claims

Injured in a car or motorcycle accident in Alberta? If you were not at-fault for the accident then the team at Merchant Law can help you receive compensation for your injuries. 

This money can help you get back on your feet. It will help you take care of medical bills Medicare doesn’t cover, long-term care bills, bills for services related to the accident, damage to your car, and your lost wages. It will also compensate you for the trauma, pain, and suffering you’ve been through as a result of your accident.

What You Should Know About Okotoks Car Accident Claims

The steps you take directly after your car accident are crucial. The two that matter the most are getting medical attention and dealing with the insurance company.

Getting medical attention generally isn’t a huge problem for many of our clients. They are dealing with broken bones, disfiguring injuries, head injuries, and spinal injuries. They’ve got gashes, lacerations, and crushed limbs. The main thing you want to know is that some injuries take longer to catch than others. It’s important to follow all of your doctor’s instructions. It’s also important to accept all the medical care that’s on offer.

Second, the insurance company. At some point you’re going to have to file a claim. If you do it yourself, you can expect several things. 

First, you can expect the insurance adjuster to try to lowball you an offer. If they can get you to take it, they can end the case right there. You will not have enough money to meet all of your expenses. 

Second, you can expect the insurance adjuster to try to get you to say things or sign things which could either end or severely jeopardize your case. 

If you contact one of our lawyers then we can file the claim on your behalf. This will ensure that no mistakes get made. It also shows the defendant-driver’s insurance company that you mean business right from the start. You can focus on healing, and we can focus on prepping your case. 

If you get into an accident with a commercial truck or 18-wheeler then there will be even more considerations. In that case it is vital that you hire the most experienced lawyer you can find as fast as you can find. Truck accident cases mean going up against major corporations who are held to a much higher duty of care than the average passenger vehicle driver. They have spent a long time learning how to wriggle out of liability and they will not make your case easy.

What You Should Know About Okotoks Motorcycle Accident Claims

Everything that’s true about an Alberta car accident case is true of a motorcycle accident case. Yet motorcycle cases are even more complex, and often require extensive experience and an even keener negotiation skills to bring to a successful conclusion. 

The injuries in a motorcycle case tend to be far more devastating than in your average car accident case. This means the insurance companies tend to work harder at trying to pin the blame for the accident on the rider. You can still claim as long as you are less than 51% at-fault, but Alberta is a comparative negligence province. This means both parties are assigned a percentage.

The percentage of fault you are assigned will reduce your eventual personal injury award. For example, if you’re awarded 1 million dollars but are found to be 20% at fault, then you’re only bringing home $800,000. Every percentage point counts.

Here’s how being a motorcycle case impacts that fault percentage. There are certain people who do not like riders. They feel like the very act of taking to the road on a motorcycle constitutes a negligent act. They tend to be focused on judging riders instead of feeling compassion for the traumatic brain and spinal injuries that are present in nearly all motorcycle cases.

They do not recognize the statistics: the ones which tell us that most motorcycle accidents are indeed the fault of passenger vehicles. Most either pass the rider incorrectly or make an improper left turn.

This means riders have an uphill battle. They need skilled lawyers who are excellent negotiators, storytellers, and litigators. This is the only way to help defeat this stigma.

Riders are also up against the fact that their injuries are likely to be far more expensive than the average injuries in a car-on-car accident. This inspires the insurance company to fight even harder to keep from paying out. Every mistake matters, which means getting a lawyer as soon as you’re awake, alert, and medically capable of doing so may be your only hope of getting back on your feet financially.

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.

Our lawyers work on contingency, which means we don’t get paid unless we bring your case to a successful conclusion. 

Our firm also has over 30 years of experience in car, motorcycle, and trucking accident cases. We serve the entire province and are known as some of Alberta’s toughest litigators and sharpest negotiators. Insurance companies recognize our name when we call to file your claim, and they know that their case had better be air-tight if they’re going to fight. 

This means often we have an edge in settlement conferences, allowing us to bring your case to a swift, successful conclusion. We will help you get full compensation for your injuries and maximize your pain and suffering award, ensuring your bills are covered.

Call (403) 225-7777 to schedule your consultation. We’ll look at the facts of your case, answer all of your questions, and help you take your next steps. Don’t try to do it alone. Call the lawyers at Merchant Law to get started today.