How to choose an injury or disability lawyer.
If you have been injured or are suffering from a disability, you may be wondering whether you need to speak to a lawyer about your needs and entitlement. A good rule of thumb is to trust your instincts. If you think you need to speak to a lawyer, you probably do. The next question is how to choose the right lawyer. Choosing the right lawyer for a specific type of injury or disability claim is an important decision. The lawyer who assisted you with your house purchase is likely not the best lawyer to take on your injury or disability claim. An injury or disability claim requires specific...
read moreContingency Fees – FAQ’s.
What is a Contingency Fee Agreement? A Contingency Fee Agreement (CFA) is a contract between a law firm (or lawyer) and the client in a case where legal fees are payable as a percentage of the amount recovered as damages. Under a CFA, the legal fees are payable only if the case is successful. This means that, if the case is not successful, the client does not pay any legal fees. The CFA must be in writing and signed by both the client and the lawyer. What type of cases use a CFA? Mostly, a CFA is used in personal injury or wrongful death matters. It is also frequently utilized in some...
read moreHow are health records used in a lawsuit?
Overview If you suffer from an injury or disability, you will likely receive care from one or more health care practitioners. You will probably be aware that a health care practitioner typically makes records each time you see him or her. These records typically document your comments, the health care practitioner’s findings and the health care practitioner’s diagnosis and opinion. These records help both the health care practitioner who makes the records and any other health care practitioner who receives the records to provide appropriate care to you. If you are involved in a lawsuit...
read moreExpert evidence in disability and personal injury lawsuits.
Lawyers often seek the opinions of medical experts in disability and personal injury lawsuits. The purpose of these engagements is generally to present evidence in relation to such important matters as: • the underlying cause of the plaintiff’s injuries; • the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s injuries and corresponding functional limitations, deficits or disability; • any further treatment or rehabilitation initiatives that may need to be undertaken; and • the prognosis for future recovery or symptom improvement. Although opinions on such matters may vary from expert to expert, the...
read moreIs there a duty to take cannabis?
A 2014 judgment of the Supreme Court of British Columbia illustrates just how far the debate has swung on the issue of marijuana as medicine. The judgment of Gelsby v. MacMillan (March 4, 2014, BC Supreme Court) was a routine personal injury case in many respects. The plaintiff, Jessica Glesby was injured in a motor vehicle accident, suffered various injuries, and went to trial on the issue of the “assessment of damages” (how much money would she receive for her injuries). The arguments raised by both parties were for the most part not out of the ordinary, with the defendant’s arguing that...
read morePunitive damages explained.
Punitive damages are particularly prevalent in the USA where they are often left to the discretion of a group of citizens, a jury, who may impose them when they determine that a defendant’s conduct has been uncivilized or to deter other from acting in such an underhanded way, to improve, generally, law and order, or simply to reward the plaintiff for his financial risks in litigating and enforcing the law. Where awarded, they are an exception to the rule that damages are to compensate not to punish. The exact threshold of punitive damages varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In...
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