Our Hamilton car accident lawyers have seen the immense devastation a serious car accident can cause, affecting the victim and their family profoundly and permanently. The aftermath often goes beyond the physical injuries, seeping into every aspect of life. Victims may sustain severe injuries like spinal cord damage or brain injury, which could impair their ability to perform even the simplest of daily activities, such as dressing, eating, or walking.
These life-altering injuries can potentially rob them of their independence, making them reliant on others for their basic needs. Furthermore, such severe injuries can limit or entirely prevent the victim from returning to work, causing significant financial strain. This can also cause a ripple effect that can be distressing for families. Partners and families not only have to grapple with the emotional trauma of seeing their loved ones in pain but must also adapt to a new reality and possibly take on the role of caregivers.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you have only one chance to seek compensation for your car accident injuries. Having the right Hamilton car accident lawyer on your side can mean the difference between winning and losing your case. Our Hamilton car accident lawyers will also help ensure you receive the full compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses. Since 2003, our Hamilton car accident lawyers have helped hundreds of car accident victims recover millions of dollars in compensation, helping them get their lives back on track.
There are several ways to contact us today. First, you can you or a loved one can email us through our website. You can also call us from anywhere you are in Ontario at 1-844-LALANDE or local in the Hamilton/Southern Ontario area at 905-333-8888.
Matt Lalande is a well-known trial lawyer in Hamilton who’s recovered millions for car accident victims throughout Ontario since 2003. He is a car accident lawyer who understands the physical, emotional, and financial repercussions that serious car accident injuries have inflicted on his clients’ lives.
Because of his trial experience, Matt can often secure more substantial compensation than lawyers who are not “trial lawyers” due to his courtroom proficiency. The potential for trial proceedings often incentivizes defendants or insurance companies to propose higher settlements to evade the unpredictability, time commitment, and potential financial burden of a trial.
Moreover, Matt is adept at strategically presenting evidence and artfully delivering arguments to a jury, optimizing the possibility of securing maximal damages.
For a consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer in Hamilton, Ontario, call us at 905-333-8888 or fill out a free consultation form. As a knowledgeable car accident lawyer, Matt Lalande has the expertise and resources to guide you through this challenging time and fight tirelessly to secure the best possible outcome for your case.
“How do I hire a car accident lawyer near me?” is a common question. Our lawyers understand that you are likely to be in a difficult state and have never had to hire a lawyer before. Hiring a car accident lawyer in an era of mass advertising can be confusing, as billboards, bus advertisements, commercials, radio ads and various other media outlets are flooded with ads for legal services.
Many lawyers utilize these platforms to reach a large audience. Still, the sheer number of advertisements can make it challenging to distinguish the right Hamilton car accident lawyer for your case.
Start your search by leveraging the power of personal referrals. Family, friends, or colleagues who have used a Hamilton car accident lawyer in the past can be excellent sources of information. They can share their experiences, the lawyer’s communication style, and the results they received. These personal insights can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from the lawyer.
Also, consider checking online reviews and testimonials to get an idea of past client’s experiences. The internet can be a valuable tool in assessing the credibility and capability of a lawyer you’ve noticed through mass advertising.
These advertisements are just one tool to identify potential lawyers; they should not be the deciding factor. After identifying potential lawyers, schedule consultations to get to know them better. Ask about their experience, fees, and how they handle cases similar to yours.
This way, you can evaluate their suitability beyond the flashy advertising and decide based on their ability to meet your specific needs. Remember, you only have one chance at hiring a Hamilton car accident lawyer. The last thing you want is to hire the wrong lawyer and end up in a worse place financially than you are now.
If your accident has caused you severe life-changing injuries, we always recommend that you contact our Hamilton car accident lawyers sooner rather than later. We can help get the proper no-fault insurance issues into place, ensure proper post-discharge care is set up, and your home is fully accommodated to welcome your current disabilities.
We can also ensure that any income replacement you’re entitled to, whether through auto insurance or your long-term disability policy, is paid immediately. Our Hamilton car accident lawyers and occupational therapy team will ensure that all insurance benefits are put in place. We’ll also ensure that your home is a comfortable and welcoming environment, your attendant care is ready to be provided, and the legal process is started without delay.
Never let the insurance company adjuster take control and dictate your case. It’s best to have an experienced Hamilton car accident lawyer on your side from day one. They can help you make decisions, determine what benefits you’re eligible for, hire the proper occupational therapy team, help you get home, ensure your home is a safe environment when you return, and ensure money is coming in.
Remember, insurance companies are not your friends. You need an advocate, and at our firm, it’s always free to talk to our car accident lawyers in Hamilton.
No one expects to need an accident lawyer, and many victims of devastating Hamilton car crashes have never worked with one before. Feeling nervous about your first legal consultation is normal, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Hollywood often portrays accident lawyers as unprofessional, manipulative, and unsympathetic to injured claimants, but nothing can be further from the truth.
Here’s what to expect during a typical meeting with a car accident lawyer in Hamilton:
Many prospective clients hesitate to contact local injury lawyers because they fear facing unexpected consultation fees. However, our Hamilton car accident lawyers do not charge car crash victims consultation and case review fees.
Our Hamilton car accident lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means our firm is not paid until you recover compensation for your accident. Do not sign any agreement that requires upfront payment in car accident cases before checking with the injury lawyers at Lalande Personal Injury Lawyers.
Car crashes happen suddenly, so lawyers know that many claimants can’t fully explain how the accident occurred. However, we will need to understand how the accident happened from your point of view as best we can.
Our Hamilton car accident lawyers must understand exactly how the accident occurred—even if it means admitting to some fault. Under Ontario’s Fault Determination Rules, contributory negligence does not bar financial recovery.
Nearly all serious car crashes cause claimants financial damages, including vehicle repair costs and lost wages. We will discuss your injuries in detail and how we might expect them to affect your life in both the short and long term.
Your Hamilton car accident lawyer must know about your life, family, job, friends, activities, and hobbies. This helps them understand the full extent of the accident’s impact on your life. Your lawyer needs to understand your immediate injuries and how these have disrupted your day-to-day activities and personal relationships.
For instance, if the accident prevents you from working, engaging in hobbies you once loved, or spending quality time with your family and friends, this should be considered when pursuing compensation.
A lawyer who knows your story can effectively illustrate the totality of your loss, ensuring that any potential damages awarded reflect the true impact the accident has had on your life, livelihood, and personal happiness. This holistic understanding of your circumstances enables your lawyer to represent you more effectively and argue for a comprehensive and fair settlement or verdict.
We Will Complete Intake Paperwork
Remember, we have the onus of proving your losses. Because of this, we will need you to complete authorizations for our Hamilton car accident lawyers to obtain your medical records, hospital records, records from your family doctor, rehab providers, OT’s, etc.
Experienced Hamilton car accident lawyers expect you to ask about consultation fees and legal costs. This is the number one reported concern by prospective clients, so don’t be afraid to ask for detailed information about our fee structure.
However, the lawyer-client relationship is personal and powerful. Asking lawyers specific questions upfront often helps car accident victims and their families find the right lawyer and avoid the wrong ones.
Consider asking potential Hamilton car accident lawyers these questions during your initial personal injury legal consultation:
Matt Lalande is a Hamilton car accident lawyer who has obtained favourable results for countless car injury victims and their families in Hamilton and throughout Southern Ontario. This includes victims who have suffered major orthopedic injuries and broken bones, spinal injuries, chronic pain injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and injuries that cause full or partial paralysis.
Since 2003, Matt Lalande has represented hundreds of victims and recovered millions of dollars for those injured in various types of car accidents.
Some of the more common ones include:
Accidents are often caused by misjudging the distance and speed of oncoming traffic. In addition, intersection car accidents can be the result of drivers running red lights, failing to yield to others, distracted driving or driving a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The injuries suffered in these accidents can be extreme for a few reasons:
a) Drivers who fail to stop at red lights, combined with excessive speeds, can result in very serious car accidents that threaten the lives of innocent drivers on the road.
b) Multi-car accidents within intersections can potentially devastate all motorists involved. If a vehicle initially struck is pushed into the intersection at the wrong time, it can crash into other vehicles and set off a very serious chain reaction of other accidents.
c) Intersection car accidents are often caused by distracted drivers. Unfortunately, when drivers choose to text or use other smartphone functions while driving, they are simply unaware of how they threaten the safety of other cars, trucks, and motorcycles around them. A simple glance away from the road can cause the driver to drive through a red light or stop sign or, even worse, head into oncoming traffic at an intersection.
a) Driving under the influence is a common cause of intersection accidents in Ontario. Being under the influence of drugs, alcohol or even medications can impact driving judgment and affect reaction times. Some cold medications even contain alcohol or drowsy ingredients. Drivers must take responsibility for what alcohol, drugs or medications they ingest before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Head-on collisions are a common form of car accidents and are responsible for numerous fatalities every year.
Some common causes of head-on crash-type car accidents include:
a) Bad weather and adverse conditions can make Ontario roads more difficult to travel, reducing visibility and bringing debris into the path of unsuspecting drivers. Other contributing reasons to adverse road conditions include large potholes, poor lighting, missing or faded lane markings, and poorly signed medians and guardrails. These can all contribute to serious car accidents and head-on collisions, resulting in severe injury.
b) Failure to properly navigate intersections is a major cause of thousands of Canadian car accidents annually. Various factors can contribute to accidents in the middle of intersections, including malfunctioning traffic lights, driver inattention, drivers misjudging their speed and timing, and drivers misjudging distance. Lastly, one of the most common reasons is drivers turning left into the path of oncoming vehicles without ensuring it is safe.
c) Distracted drivers with smartphones have become the number one cause of accidents in Ontario. Too many drivers are attempting to text, talk, map, and multitask behind the wheel, and despite advances in safety technology, car accidents continue to happen. In fact, according to Transport Canada’s National Collision Database, distracted driving contributed to 21.7 % of fatal collisions and 27% of serious injury collisions in Canada in 2019. The majority of distracted driving traffic collisions were caused by cell phone use – in particular, texting while driving.
d) Multi-vehicle car accidents are another common cause of head-on collisions. Car accidents often happen when one car forces another car into the opposing lane, where it then strikes an oncoming vehicle. This is common at intersections when a car turning left is rear-ended or when a car entering the path of another car is struck in the intersection and sent in the direction of oncoming traffic.
e) Sleep deprivation is another common cause of head-on crashes in Ontario, particularly trucking accidents. Truck drivers are often overworked and under-rested despite Ontario trucking mandates concerning how many hours they can work daily. Other drivers, such as shift workers or workers who start work extremely early, often cause early morning car accidents. Nobody who is excessively tired or has difficulty concentrating on the road should operate a vehicle until rested.
Although the majority of rear-end collisions in Ontario result in minor injuries, some serious high-speed rear-end car accidents can be devastating. The impact of being violently bucked forward and backward again can be extremely hurtful on the body, and injuries to the neck and back are common.
The resulting damage to the spine can cause herniated discs, pinched nerves, and other serious injuries that may require surgery or long-term medical care to fix. These serious rear-end accidents often occur on highways or other high-speed roads. If you or a loved one has been involved in a serious rear-end car accident, it is vital to seek experienced legal counsel to ensure that your rights are protected.
The following are some types of rear-end car accident injuries our Hamilton car accident lawyers routinely see:
Neck Injuries
It has been claimed that 85% of the neck injuries caused by car accidents are the result of rear-end collisions. Disc pathology after rear-end car accidents is almost always a contributor to a victim’s complaints of chronic pain.
Disc bulges and disc herniations caused by rear-end car accidents can be crippling – with pain ranging from constant and chronic aching in the neck to radiculopathy pain that radiates into these arms and hands. At times, victims may also experience tingling and weakness.
When cervical disc herniations originate from trauma or neck injury caused by rear-end accidents, the symptoms often start spontaneously and be excruciating.
Back and Spinal Injuries
Similar to cervical injuries, the thoracic and lumbar spine can suffer serious damage in high-speed rear-end collisions. These areas of the back and spine can suffer mechanical issues and soft-tissue injuries, which can become chronic and life-changing.
Herniated discs are also common in car accidents. This is when the entry of the disc tears, bulges, or rips and irritates a nerve root in the area, causing nerve root pain. The herniated part of the disc can become inflamed and compress nearby nerves. Nerve compression can, in turn, cause thoracic and lumbar spinal stenosis. The disc wall which surrounds the center of the disc is full of nerve fibers, and tearing through the disc wall can cause significant pain.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spina cord injuries are also common in severe high-speed rear-end car accidents. A spinal cord injury (SCI) is truly a devastating injury with profound consequences for car accident victims. The spinal cord is the part of your central nervous system that transmits messages between your brain and your body.
It is similar to a cable, about as thick as a little finger. It begins at the base of the brain and runs down the length of the back, ending behind the first lumbar vertebrae. If your spinal cord has been damaged in the thoracic area, there is a possibility of either complete or incomplete lower limb paraplegia.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are often caused by serious rear-end collisions. Traumatic brain injuries are caused when a force transmitted to the head or body results in neuropathologic damage and dysfunction. Acceleration and deceleration forces cause the brain to rattle and rotate in the skull.
As a result, pressure is exerted on the frontal and temporal regions, resulting in sheering and extensive white matter damage. In a closed head injury, brain damage over a large area often results in a great variety of deficits, including loss of consciousness, problems with attention and memory, and behaviour changes.
Pedestrians have absolutely no means to protect themselves when a driver fails to yield or fails to stop at a stop sign or red light. When pedestrian car accidents happen, injuries are often extremely severe and result in serious orthopedic trauma and head injury.
Other common car accident pedestrian injuries are internal bleeding and organ damage, injuries to the head and neck, and wrongful death. These types of pedestrian accidents are almost always preventable if drivers simply take the time to look both ways before proceeding through an intersection, whether there is a stop sign or not.
Unfortunately, many drivers do not take this simple precaution and, as a result, cause devastating pedestrian car accidents, often leaving victims with lifelong injuries. Common injuries include knee fractures, hip fractures, femur fractures, internal bleeding, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
These injuries can all have long-term effects on a person’s health, including chronic pain, disability, and even death. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pedestrian accidents are the ninth leading cause of death for adults aged 65 and over.
Read more about the following types of car accidents:
Our dedicated Hamilton car accident lawyers have recovered millions for clients injured in traffic accidents in Hamilton and throughout Ontario.
Of the thousands of cases we’ve handled, here are some notable examples:
Our dedicated Hamilton car accident lawyers settle many cases within insurance policy limits; however, sometimes, we must take your claims to trial. Importantly, we have experience obtaining damages in cases involving clear injuries (fractures), complex conditions (spinal cord damage), and non-obvious trauma resulting in disabilities (brain injuries and CRPS).
We’ve recovered damages for substantial lost wages, uncovered medical expenses, and emotional suffering after pedestrian, motorcycle, and car crashes.
It’s important to remember that insurance is a business. As such, claims adjusters from liable insurance companies aim to reduce their company’s financial exposure. They often do this by looking for ways to reduce their accident liability and minimize the seriousness of a claimant’s injuries.
For example, liability claims adjusters will quickly contact unrepresented claimants requesting a statement about the accident. They are not on your side and may trap you into admitting fault, even when you had nothing to do with the crash.
Adjusters are less likely to do this to clients represented by dedicated injury lawyers as they must file all communication requests through counsel. Speaking with the other driver’s insurance company, no matter how nice they seem, almost always hurts your car accident claim.
Social media can also pose substantial risks in a personal injury lawsuit, as it can influence the perception and judgment of various stakeholders involved, including jury members, judges, and opposing counsel. This can have severe implications for a plaintiff’s credibility and potentially jeopardize their claim for damages.
One of the most significant risks is the potential undermining of a plaintiff’s credibility. Inconsistent posts or photographs that contradict the plaintiff’s car accident claim can significantly damage their case.
For instance, suppose a plaintiff is asserting a claim for a debilitating injury that purportedly restricts their physical abilities. If they post content on social media indicating vigorous physical activity, these posts can be utilized as evidence to challenge the severity of the claimed injury, thereby weakening the plaintiff’s credibility.
Another significant risk is the potential influence of social media on jury members. Even though jury members are instructed to base their decisions solely on the evidence presented in court, exposure to a plaintiff’s social media activity can unconsciously shape their perception of the plaintiff’s character and the credibility of their claim.
For example, if jury members come across social media posts depicting the plaintiff engaging in activities that seem inconsistent with the injuries claimed, it could lead to negative assumptions about the plaintiff’s honesty and the validity of their case.
Given these potential risks, we often advise clients to limit their social media activity during the pendency of a lawsuit or, better yet, to avoid it altogether. The digital realm’s public nature means that ostensibly private posts can still be retrieved and used as evidence, which can significantly alter the trajectory of a personal injury case.
Accident benefits (often called SABS or Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule) are complicated and often difficult to understand. Often, the process does not make sense, and your car insurance company will make you feel like the process is adversarial.
Our Hamilton car accident lawyers often tell our clients that as a part of their auto insurance premiums every month, “accident benefit protection” is also included. This means that if you are hurt in a car accident, your own insurance company will help pay for your rehabilitation to assist you in getting better. Depending on the severity of the injury, you will be entitled to a certain amount of money to apply toward reasonable and necessary rehabilitation to help get you better.
After you’ve been involved in a car accident and speak to your insurance company, the insurer must send you an application package containing the appropriate application forms and a written explanation of the benefits available to you.
If you’ve suffered injuries in a car accident, you may be entitled to apply for certain accident benefits, depending on how seriously you were hurt:
Determining fault in a Hamilton car accident in Ontario involves several factors and is influenced by both the Highway Traffic Act and civil litigation.
Here is a basic overview:
Remember, the specific details of each accident can significantly affect how fault is determined. Therefore, getting legal advice from a Hamilton car accident lawyer is the best way to ensure your rights are protected.
It’s not often that you need a lawyer in your life. Our Hamilton car accident lawyers understand that seeking legal help can be overwhelming, particularly when it comes to how much it will cost. Even if you are confident you will obtain a settlement or good verdict, you may fear that hiring a Hamilton personal injury lawyer will cost too much.
The first step is booking a free consultation. You don’t pay us to talk to us. Lalande Personal Injury Lawyers will never ask personal injury victims for money upfront. If somebody is seriously hurt or killed because of someone else’s negligence, the last thing the family needs is a legal bill. There are no up-front legal fees for you to pay to get your case started.
If we decide to work together, there are no upfront fees. Our Hamilton car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only get paid if we win your case. Our payment comes from a percentage of the money we recover for you, typically from a settlement or a court award in a lawsuit.
If your case is lost, our lawyer will not receive a fee, and we will not send you a bill for disbursements, such as Court costs or expert’s bills.
This type of arrangement is beneficial for individuals who might not be able to afford a car accident lawyer’s regular hourly rates. It also aligns the lawyer’s interests with the client’s, as the lawyer only gets paid if they successfully obtain a recovery. This strongly incentivizes your Hamilton car accident lawyer to thoroughly pursue your case with dedication.
Below are some car accident questions commonly posed to our Hamilton car accident lawyers:
Police in Ontario have reported that distracted driving is causing more collisions than speeding and impaired driving combined. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reported making roughly 15,000 to 20,000 distracted driving charges on OPP-patrolled roads yearly from 2011 through 2016.
Unfortunately, many people inaccurately think distracted driving is only talking or texting. Distracted driving is being focused on anything that diverts your attention from the road. Activities like using a GPS device, putting on makeup, fiddling with a radio, shaving, using a smartphone, eating, drinking, watching a video, and texting can take your attention away from the road and cause a crash.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a group that educates Americans about the dangers of distracted driving, shows that texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a single text takes your eyes off the road for approximately five seconds. At ninety kilometres per hour, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
Distracted driving accidents can cause a variety of devastating injuries. If you have become the victim of someone else’s failure to focus on the road, our Hamilton car accident lawyers can help you recover the compensation you need to move forward with your life. Book a free consultation to discuss your case and learn more about your rights and options.
Every accident is different, and the victims and facts involved, such as motorists’ speed, road conditions, weather conditions, and the location of the incident, can all influence the cause of why it happened. However, most injuries we see are quite similar, depending, of course, on the type of accident involved.
Some of the most common car accident injuries seen by our Hamilton car accident lawyers include:
Brain Injuries. Traumatic closed-head brain injuries are incredibly common in car accidents, particularly in serious T-bone collisions. Traumatic brain injury often presents in various forms, ranging from mild alterations of consciousness to an unrelenting comatose state and death. Concussions, extra-axial hematomas, contusions, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and diffuse axonal injury are also common.
Spinal Cord Injury and Back Injuries. Serious high-energy collisions could cause paralyzing spinal cord injuries. Although traumatic spinal injuries compose just a minority of all traumatic car accident victims, these injuries are brutally disabling and so have a significant influence on the patient’s quality of life and social and financial situation.
Orthopedic Trauma. Serious car accidents can result in torn muscles, joint damage, and complex fractures. Although bones are strong, they do bend or “give” somewhat when a serious outside force is applied. The severity of the orthopedic trauma usually depends on the force that caused the bones to fracture. In car accident crashes, we have helped clients who have suffered open fractures (when a bone breaks and sticks out through the skin), open compound fractures, transverse, oblique and comminuted fractures.
Disfigurement, Degloving, and Lost Limbs. These can occur in the most serious of pedestrian car accidents, or if an accident happens with an arm hanging out the window, in a convertible car or if a person is ejected. Degloving happens when the skin and tissue are ripped from the underlying muscle. Degloving injuries typically occur when vehicle-pedestrian accident victims are run over.
If you have suffered serious injuries in a car accident in Hamilton that is caused by someone else, you will be entitled to compensation to help you recover and regain quality of life.
In Ontario, you are entitled to claim compensation for the following heads of damage:
Our goal is simple: to achieve the best possible results for each client in every case we handle and leave nothing to chance. Our Hamilton car accident lawyers know when to settle a case, close a case, or take a case to trial. We recognize the challenges our clients face and are here to provide support, guidance, and assertive legal representation throughout the process.
Our Hamilton car accident lawyers are always willing to explain your rights to you—at no cost and without obligation. Our firm will review the details of your crash, determine your options, hire the appropriate occupational therapists, help with the discharge plan to bring you home and ensure your insurer is paying your medical bills and attendant care benefits. We are here to protect you and your family every step of the way with dedicated, compassionate, and thorough representation.
Feel free to email us confidentially through our website or give us a call from anywhere in Canada at 1-844-LALANDE or local in the Southern Ontario area at 905-333-8888 today and let our family help yours.
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If you have been seriously injured in a car accident, it can mean a sudden and tragic change in your life. Serious car accident injuries may prevent you from going to work, enjoying your life, sleeping, spending time with your loved ones, exercising, and living your life with the comfort and enjoyment you are used to.
You also may be overwhelmed and suffering from emotional, physical, and financial burdens. Our Hamilton car accident lawyers also understand you will have many unanswered questions. The following are some of the more common questions we receive that our Hamilton car accident lawyers have answered:
You can call our Hamilton Car Accident Lawyers toll-free at 1-844-LALANDE or local at 905-333-8888. If you are nervous, unsure or uncomfortable, you can always chat with our live chat operator 24/7 or send us a confidential email through our website by clicking here.
No. Matt Lalande is a trial lawyer who has been serving the Hamilton community since 2003. Our office is located at 1 King West, at the intersection of James and King Street.
We understand that your life has been turned upside down and that you probably have lots of questions – but we promise – we have been told that talking to our Hamilton car accident lawyers is like talking to a friend. We are on your side.
Absolutely. It is much better to hire a local lawyer who is an expert in car accident law than a firm out of town and simply being a “case.” You should hire a local lawyer who is relatively close to you, someone you can drive to, visit, sit with, and talk to about your case.
No—it is much easier for our car accident lawyer to get the accident investigation and insurance issues sorted out early. Also, it is important that we assist in putting together the right occupational therapy team immediately. It’s much, much easier to get the process started now rather than trying to undo insurance mistakes later.
No, you should never speak to the insurance company for the at-fault driver on your own. We will take care of this for you. The opposing adjuster is not your friend.
We know you are going through a lot at the moment – you only need to give our chat operator a short summary of your accident and injuries. We always return calls and emails within a very short time.
Yes – and you are absolutely welcome to chat with her 24/7.
Matt Lalande has served hundreds of car accident victims since 2003.
We will get in touch with you by email or telephone call and then set up a meeting within a day with Matt Lalande or another lawyer so that you and your loved ones understand all of your legal options
Absolutely not. In fact, Mr. Lalande often recommends that you speak to multiple law firms and make sure you speak to the lawyer who will be pursuing justice on your behalf.
It is 100% free, and even more important – we will never ask you for money or a retainer at any point. We fund the case until the very last day.
No, you do not. In fact, many of our clients cannot come into the office because of their physical disabilities. In that case, we can always set up a talk through Zoom, Google Meet, or Facetime—whatever you prefer!
About 75% to 80% of car accident cases settle. We are one the few firms that will take a case to trial, and the insurance companies know this.
Absolutely. Ontario is not a victim-friendly Province, and the insurance system is an extremely convoluted and complex system. In addition, if you’ve suffered life-changing injuries, you are entitled to significant funding from the insurance company. A Hamilton car accident lawyer can ensure that all insurance funding is in place and occupational therapists are retained to help with your discharge planning. It’s important that all your medical needs are met and paid for on an ongoing basis – and a car accident specialist can assist with all of this.
In Ontario, anyone injured in a car accident is entitled to apply for accident benefits, which are benefits that are provided to persons who become injured as a result of the use or operation of a motor vehicle. You can be entitled to receive up to $3500.00, $65,000.00 or $1,000,000 in accident benefits, depending on your level of injury. The benefits are to help pay for your care and rehabilitation, replace lost wages and help reintegrate you back into society. Under certain circumstances, you will be entitled to sue the negligent driver as well for compensation for your pain, suffering, wage losses and anything else you require to assist you in the future.
Accident benefits are part of Ontario’s no-fault insurance scheme. If you have been hurt in an accident—whether it’s your fault or not—you may be entitled to receive accident benefits to assist with your recovery. The amount of benefits you are entitled to will depend on the severity of your injuries.
Firstly – were you an occupant in a vehicle that was involvd in a car accident? If so, then:
i. You have recourse against the insurer of an automobile in respect of which you are an insured;
ii. if recovery is unavailable under subparagraph i, you have recourse against the insurer of the automobile in which he or she was an occupant;
iii. if recovery is unavailable under subparagraph i or ii, you have recourse against the insurer of any other automobile involved in the incident from which the entitlement to statutory accident benefits arose;
iv. if recovery is unavailable under subparagraphs i, ii or iii, you have recourse against the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund.
If you were not an occupant (a pedestrian or cyclist) if so, then:
i. You have recourse recourse against the insurer of an automobile in respect of which you are an insured,
ii. if recovery is unavailable under subparagraph i, you have recourse against the insurer of the automobile that struck you;
iii. if recovery is unavailable under subparagraph i or ii, you have recourse against the insurer of any automobile involved in the incident from which the entitlement to statutory accident benefits arose,
iv. if recovery is unavailable under subparagraphs i, ii or iii, you have recourse against the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund.
Absolutely. Our consultations for car accident cases are always free, and if Hamilton Car Accident Lawyer decides to work together, we will never ask for money upfront.
The answer is, we don’t know. If you suffered serious injuries that were life-changing and the accident was not your fault, then there is a good chance that our Hamilton car accident lawyers and the insurance company can work out a resolution and save both sides hundreds of thousands of dollars in Court fees. We normally tell clients that if the accident is partially your fault, your injuries turn out to be not life-changing, there is a plethora of evidence that is inconsistent with what your are saying, or there are credibility issues that the insurance company has issues with – then your case can in fact go to trial and the onus is on you to prove your losses.
In Ontario, if you are awarded compensation or settle your case, the defendant does not pay this money. It is the driver’s insurance company that will pay your settlement or Court award.
If you’ve suffered serious injuries, you need to hire a car accident lawyer right away. Remember, insurance company adjusters will begin investigating the accident and evaluating your injury claim right away. It’s vital that you hire representation to protect yourself. Also, hiring an experienced car accident lawyer early on will ensure that you hire your own occupational therapy team without the insurance company appointing one first, who will only serve in its best interest. An experienced car accident lawyer can also make sure that all insurance funding is in place to pay for anything you need and help you get discharged and back home safely.
An insurer is not required to pay an income replacement benefit, a non-earner benefit, benefits for lost education or visitors expenses in respect of a person who was the driver of an automobile at the time of the accident (i) if the driver knew or ought reasonably to have known that he or she was operating the automobile while it was not insured under a motor vehicle liability policy, (ii) if the driver was driving the automobile without a valid driver’s licence, (iii) if the driver is an excluded driver under the contract of automobile insurance, or (iv) if the driver knew or ought reasonably to have known that he or she was operating the automobile without the owner’s consent. In addition, if a person was engaged in an act for which the person is convicted of a criminal offence or was an occupant of an automobile that was being used in connection with an act for which the person is convicted of a criminal offence – accident benefit coverage may not be available.
It depends—it’s vital that you speak to a car accident lawyer to learn your rights. Sadly, the Province of Ontario and the insurance companies have made it notoriously difficult to sue a driver who has ruined another person’s life. Fault determination must be investigated, and you must have suffered a certain level of injury before being entitled to sue a negligent driver. Speak to one of our Hamilton car accident lawyers as soon as you can to learn about your rights.
In Ontario, you have two years from the date of your accident to sue a negligent driver for compensation. After two years, you lose your entire right to file suit and collect damages.
Income replacement benefits (IRBs), as set out in sections 4 to 11 of the SABS, compensate accident victims for their loss of income from employment or self-employment so long as the applicant meets the necessary requirements. The SABS puts tight limits on the amount of income that can be recovered under the SABS, and many applicants will find that the income replacement benefits they receive do not adequately compensate them. Many will have to look to the tort claim to recover additional pecuniary damages.
Starting one week after the accident, IRBs compensate an insured person for 70% of gross income up to a weekly maximum of $400.
The non-earner benefit, covered in section 12 of the SABS, is unique among the benefits available under the SABS. Unlike the other benefits, which aim to compensate claimants for specific financial losses or expenses, the non-earner benefit compensates for daily loss of life functions. It is similar in nature to non-pecuniary damages and general damages in the tort claim. Given its strict requirements, it is one of the toughest accident benefits to qualify for under the SABS. In particular, it is difficult to qualify for applicants with soft-tissue injuries or psychological impairment. Claimants must suffer from a complete inability to perform their daily activities in order to qualify.
Non-earner benefits pay a base rate of $185 per week for the qualifying period. Prior to June 1, 2016, some claimants, such as students, could potentially qualify for higher amounts. These higher amounts are not available for accidents after June 1, 2016.
Caregiver benefits, as set out in section 13 of the SABS, are only available to catastrophically impaired claimants who were also the primary caregivers of one or more dependants at the time of the accident. Non-catastrophically injured claimants who purchased optional benefits may also qualify.
Medical and rehabilitation benefits, covered under sections 14 to 20 of the SABS, are the most common of all the benefits available to motor vehicle accident victims under Ontario’s no-fault accident benefits regime. Medical and rehabilitation benefits provide you with the modalities needed to restore your health and return to work and society.
Maybe – if the defendant has not been convicted criminally with an imposed sentence. In some cases, Courts may be reluctant to award punitive damages if a Defendant has already been dealt with by the criminal courts. If a Defendant has been convicted of a criminal offence such as impaired driving causing bodily harm and a custodial sentence has been imposed with a period of driving prohibition, some Courts have taken the position that it would be inappropriate for a civil court to go behind the determination of the criminal court and substitute its own finding as to whether that sentence appropriately met the objectives of retribution, deterrence and denunciation.
I was a dental hygienist that suffers from really bad scoliosis. My insurance company ignored my doc & cut my benefits off & told me I could do “something”. Matt got me CPP Disability and and LTD settlement – I don’t know what I would have done without him.
My daughter was killed by a drunk driver and it forever changed all of our lives. It seemed that for two years time stopped. This was no an easy journey. Matt let me sit in on the discovery of the driver and boy, he never let up. In the end, our grand-daughter was taken care of and we were compensated for our loss – which we then donated to a cause we believed in.
I call Matt my knight in shining armour. After I was struck by a car while cycling and permanently crippled, he fielded all communications with my especially difficult and downright nasty insurance adjuster. Every step of my care was a battle and I did not have the strength to fight alone.
I lost my leg in a terrible motorcycle accident and Matt help me recover compensation I need because I could not work and the cost of prosthetics and rehab are out of this world. I don’t know what I would have done without him.
My brother ended up paralyzed after a car accident and Lalande did SO MUCH to help get things straight from him getting out of the hospital to all his care for life. We are so grateful for Matt & Heather. I don’t know how my family could have done this without them.
