If a drunk driver has taken your loved one or family members you will no doubt have questions that need answers. We have been representing families across Ontario in wrongful death claims since 2003 and understand that the sudden unexpected loss of a husband, wife, parents, children or grandchildren causes indescribable pain and struggle that is lifelong. There is no forgetting.
The grief, stress, and PTSD that often stems from dealing with the unexpected loss of a loved one will soften in time, but will more likely than not never go away. The reality is that when you lose a loved one, such as a child or parent, you lose the most important thing in your life. Life becomes black and white. You do not see color. Life changes – forever.
If a drunk driver causes a wrongful death in Ontario, he or she may be charged criminally with impaired driving causing death. Separate from this, however, family members of someone killed by a drunk driver may be entitled to file a wrongful death lawsuit in order to claim economic and non-economic compensation. Our Hamilton Wrongful Death lawyers have been serving families who lost loved ones in drunk driving accidents in Hamilton and all over Ontario since 2003. If your loved one has lost his or life because of someone else’s thoughtless decision to get behind the wheel while impaired and drive – call us today to learn your rights. We are Ontario wrongful death lawyers who have handled hundreds of fatality cases and can help you understand your rights and what you may be entitled to. No matter where you are in Ontario, our consultations are free and we never ask for money upfront – and you do not have to come to our office.
Call us today at 905-333-8888 of fill in a contact form and someone will get right back to you.
If your loved one has been taken by a drunk driver, it’s important that you contact a law firm that specializes in wrongful death law – as it is a very complex area of law. Remember, drunk driving is one of the most preventable causes of death in Canada. If an impaired driver is taking your loved one, we highly recommend that you do whatever it takes to get the justice you deserve.
Yes you can. Drinking and driving cases can involve multiple areas of law. A drunk driver can be charged under the criminal code and face jail time. Similarly, a drunk driver can be sued by the family of a loved one who is been killed. It does not matter if the impaired driver goes to jail – you can still sue him or her for compensation.
If the person was insured, it will always be the insurance company of the driver who was driving drunk. You will sue the driver personally but his or her insurance company will respond.
You can sue for as much as you want. If you are a dependent, or you lost a parent or spouse that supported you or contributed to the family and household finances, the damages that you seek will be quite significant. You will be suing for all of the income loss that you and your family has lost as a result of your loved one’s death.
This is a question that can easily be answered. What we do know, is that as the estate trustee of your loved one, you will be suing for the loss of care guidance and companionship you suffered, as well as economic damages including the loss of potential earnings and contribution to the family that your loved one made. You will also be suing for loss of benefits, general expenses, rehab or attendant care services, household services, childcare services, and loss of inheritance to name a few areas of compensation. Generally in a wrongful death case that involved economic or income dependency, policy limits of 1 to 2 million will be paid to the surviving members of the family.
Your own auto insurance policy, or if you did not have insurance, the insurance policy of the at fault driver will reimburse funeral costs up to $6000, immediately.
You would sue the estate of the at fault driver. His or her insurance company will respond to your family’s lawsuit.
Yes and no. You would sue the at-fault driver personally but his or her insurance company would respond to your claim. However, anything over limits (meaning the at fault driver’s third-party policy limits) would be payable personally, by the at fault driver if that person is collectible.
All cases are different. All facts are different. However, it could take between 1 and 3 years to reach an acceptable settlement or verdict in court. This is only general estimation. All cases differ. Sometimes cases end up with very experienced high-level adjusters that will be able to settle the case with your wrongful death lawyers. Other times the case has to be litigated.
Our consultations for all areas of law are 100% free and if we decide to work together, we will never ask for money upfront.
Unfortunately in Ontario, family members cannot claim compensation for grief, sorrow, emotional distress or mental anguish due to the death of a family member, but, if a drunk driver has taken the life of your loved one, both you and surviving family members have the right to file suit against the driver (his/her insurance company) for both economic and non-economic compensation in Ontario pursuant to a law which we call the Family Law Act generally.
We understand that this can be confusing for people that are not involved with the law. In Ontario, if a driver is charged and convicted with impaired driving causing death, that driver will face one or several possible criminal convictions. In an impaired driving case, the Crown must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the person charged impaired by alcohol. The test for impairment is set out in R. v. Stellato, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 478 (S.C.C.), and other cases, and it provides that to find the defendant guilty of impaired driving, a Court must be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was impaired in any degree by the consumption of alcohol.
But remember – criminal law is not a what loved ones and family must focus on in a wrongful death case. We understand that you would no doubt want the person who caused your loss punished to the full extent of the law for the devastation he or she has caused. Wrongful Death law but remember, if a person’s death is caused by someone’s negligence, family members have the right to bring a civil lawsuit in Ontario seeking damages (compensation) from the person (his/her insurance company). This is what we call a wrongful death case.
We have been helping families in wrongful death cases across Ontario since 2003 – and in every case, one thing is for certain – the unexpected and sudden death of a loved one. Dealing with a loved one’s death, particularly the death of a close family member, is one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through. We understand when you love a loved one, taking legal action against the drunk driver caused the wrongful death is probably the last thing on your mind. However, there may be some financial issues that families may have to deal with, such as funeral & burial expenses as well as other immediate costs that can be recovered without delay from your own or that at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Immediate Costs – in Ontario auto legislation provides that within 180 days after an accident the insurance company shall provide a payment to the insured person’s spouse of $25,000.00 (or more, if optional benefits are purchased) and a payment to each of the insured person’s dependants and to each person to whom the insured person had an obligation at the time of the accident to provide support under a domestic contract or court order of $10,000 (or more if optional benefits were purchased). Ontario auto legislation also provides that your own or the at-fault driver’s insurance company provide reimbursement for funeral expenses in the amount of $6000.00.
Economic Losses of Surviving Family Members – In addition to immediate costs, immediate family members and dependants may be entitled to economic damages – such as dependency losses – or the the loss that is experienced by the survivors as a result of loss of the deceased’s contribution to the net family income over their lives. Dependency loss claims should are normally presented by wrongful death lawyers similarly along the lines one would present a victim’s loss of future earnings. The dependency loss can have numerous aspects to it especially if there are surviving children that need to be supported. Other economic claims that are typically made involved the future care required by surviving family members, the surviving spouse’s wage loss or the loss of economic opportunity of the surviving spouse (this type of claim is typically asserted in situations where it is extremely difficult if not impossible to calculate a surviving spouse’s future wage loss. The basis of this type of claim is to compensate the surviving spouse for a loss of economic opportunity that they now suffer due to either increased family responsibilities or having had their earning potential impacted in some other way), household and child care services, and the loss of inheritance. All of these claims should be started sooner, rather than later given the lengthy investigation and research it by our Hamilton wrongful death lawyers, along with our medical and accounting experts that will be required to financially valuate your family’s losses.
Non-Economic Losses – In Ontario, children, grandchildren, parents, and siblings of a deceased are entitled sue for an amount to compensate for the loss of guidance, care and companionship that the claimant might reasonably have expected to receive from the person if the death had not occurred. In determining the amount to be awarded, a court will normally assess the particular relationships between family members and the deceased. Courts will typically consider factors such as the age, mental, and physical condition of the claimant; whether the injured party lived with the claimant, and if not, the frequency of family visits; the intimacy and quality of the claimant’s relationship with the injured party; whether or not the claimant is emotionally self-sufficient; and the joint life expectancy of the claimant and the injured party. The cardinal factors in fixing the precise amount are the extent and duration of the claimant’s loss.
Each Province has different limitations which sets a time limit for filing a wrongful death lawsuit. In Ontario, a wrongful death case must be filed within two years of the date of the loss of your loved one. If you miss your limitation to file suit, you will most likely lose your right to a legal remedy.
While money can never replace your loved one, it may certainly help you and your family’s financial hardship this preventable tragedy has caused. We are experienced Hamilton wrongful death lawyers who can help seek the justice your deserve by obtaining the compensation to which you and your loved ones are entitled. Our Hamilton fatality lawyers have a track record of success for our clients in wrongful death cases as a result of drunk drivers and will guide you through each step of the wrongful death claims process and take diligent care of all legal issues so that you and your family can focus on your grief and the healing process. Call our impaired driving wrongful death lawyers today, no matter where you are in Ontario at 1-844-525-2633 or local in the Burlington / Hamilton / Niagara Regions at 905-333-8888 or fill in a contact form. Talking to us does not cost you a thing and our law firm will NEVER ask you for money upfront.
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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.
