Red Deer ICBC Injury Lawyer
BC residents who travel into or relocate to Red Deer often find themselves facing unpleasant hurdles when they get into an accident. Not only must they try to get ICBC to pay the compensation they’re owed, but they must now try to navigate doing so across provincial lines.
You don’t have to deal with ICBC alone—and you shouldn’t. Every time ICBC speaks to you they’re trying to work against you. They’re trying to make you say or sign things that can weaken or destroy your case. Meanwhile, you’re relying on that money. Medicare doesn’t cover all medical expenses, and you may be missing work as you attempt to recover from your injuries.
Merchant Law is here to help.
Get Compensation for Your Injuries
When someone else’s negligence gets you injured in an accident, ICBC is supposed to cover certain costs. These include:
- The cost to repair or replace your damaged vehicle.
- Dental care and reconstruction costs.
- Long-term rehabilitation services.
- Psychological counseling.
- Lost wages or lost earning capacity.
You can recover up to $300,000 for most of these expenses, and up to $740 a week for lost wage payments. This will only happen if you get a tough lawyer with the skill and ability to maneuver ICBC into paying its obligations.
Strengthen Your ICBC Claim
Strengthening your ICBC claim starts at the scene of the accident. If you can avoid making any major mistakes you’ll help your lawyer immensely.
Mistake #1 – Failing to Gather Information
You need to get the names, addresses, and phone numbers for the other driver and for all witnesses. You’ll also need the other driver’s insurance information. You’ll want to call the police, and you’ll want a copy of the police report. Take photos if you can.
Of course, there’s a chance you were too hurt during the initial accident to gather any information. If you were, all is not lost. The team at Merchant Law has worked around this limitation hundreds of times.
Mistake #2 – Incriminating Yourself
Fault matters in ICBC cases. You’ll want to avoid apologizing, or saying things which seem to indicate you take responsibility for the accident.
Imagine everything you say will be used against you, and act accordingly.
Mistake #3 – Failing to Get Medical Care
There are often two injury extremes in a car accident. On one extreme you have the aforementioned victim who is too hurt to so much as snap a photo. On the other you have the person who feels fine after the accident, but who starts seeing symptoms days later.
It’s very important you take all medical care that’s offered and follow all instructions even if you feel fine. You might wake up in excruciating pain three or four days after the accident. If so, you don’t want to destroy your chances of recovering funds for that injury. Failing to obtain medical care makes you look opportunistic.
Mistake #4 – Failing to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer Right Away
You should take this step as soon as you’ve recovered enough from your injuries to make the call. It’s risk-free to you to do so since personal injury lawyers work on contingency. That means we don’t get paid unless you get paid.
Why Merchant Law?
We have offices both in Alberta and in BC, which makes us uniquely equipped to handle every insurance company who might be involved in your case, including supplemental insurance companies and the Alberta driver’s policy.
We have a reputation for being some of Canada’s toughest litigators. We’re a team with a proven track record of getting results. If you want justice for your accident, call 403.237.7777 or visit our office at:
3rd Floor – 4915 54 Street, Red Deer AB, T4N 2G7