Calgary Car Accident Lawyers
Car accidents and other motor vehicle accidents are a serious concern for drivers across Canada. In 2022 alone, motor vehicle fatalities across the country increased by 6%, according to Transport Canada. Car accidents that resulted in personal injury claims also spiked by over 9%, the largest increase seen in over a decade.
In the busy urban centre of Calgary, road users must be especially vigilant of collisions with cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other motor vehicles. In 2024, the Calgary Police Service reported 29 fatal traffic collisions in the city.
When you’re involved in a car accident in Calgary, the consequences can be devastating. Dealing with the emotional and physical trauma of your incident can be time-consuming and stressful. In addition, costly medical bills or lost wages can add up, putting extra financial pressure on your shoulders. Fortunately, victims of car accidents have options for legal recourse when they’re injured in collisions.
At Preszler Injury Lawyers, our Calgary car accident lawyers have decades of combined experience handling personal injury claims for our clients. As a trusted personal injury law firm in the province, we understand accident injury laws in Calgary. As a result, we can help you pursue the maximum compensation you’re entitled to when your life is affected by a crash. Whether you want to explore your legal options following your accident or you’re ready to pursue a lawsuit, we can provide tailored legal representation. To discuss your situation, schedule a free consultation with our car crash lawyers today.
Facts About Car Accident Claims in Calgary
Car accident claims in Calgary can be complex, as they usually involve different legal, insurance, and medical considerations. Alberta follows a no-fault insurance system for minor injuries, meaning that regardless of who’s at fault, individuals can claim benefits through their own insurance provider. However, for more severe injuries or cases involving negligence, a tort claim (also referred to as a lawsuit) may be an option. Regardless of your injuries or the circumstances surrounding your accident, you should be aware of the legal options available to you.
Provincial traffic accident statistics cite the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents in Alberta are due to:
- Impaired driving
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Following too closely
- Running off the road
- Disobeying traffic signals
Having basic automobile insurance (including both accident benefits and $200,000 in third-party liability) is required by provincial law. Insurance coverage like collision coverage or comprehensive coverage (ie. covering theft, vandalism, weather damage) is not mandatory.
As of 2004, the Alberta government introduced the Minor Injury Regulation (MIR), which puts a limit on the total damages recoverable for any minor soft tissue damage. Minor injuries are defined as any injuries or conditions that do not result in a serious or long-term impairment, such as a sprain, spinal cord injury, chronic pain, or whiplash-associated disorder. This limit is adjusted annually for inflation. While the government has put a cap on how much one can recover for a minor injury, that limit does not affect your ability to claim loss of income, cost of care, or other kinds of damages.
For most people, living with serious injuries after a car accident, such as brain injuries, can have life-changing consequences. They can impact everything from day-to-day activities to your ability to function normally at work. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact our law firm for a free initial consultation. Our Calgary car accident attorneys can offer accident victims tailored legal advice.
Common Injuries Resulting From Car Accidents in Calgary
Regardless of the setting where your accident has occurred, you may be susceptible to a wide variety of injuries.
In Calgary, some of the most common injuries sustained during motor vehicle accidents are:
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Fractures
- Broken bones
- Dislocations
- Soft tissue injuries
- Herniated discs
- Whiplash
- Internal organ injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Concussions
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
- Catastrophic injuries
- Nerve damage
- Chronic pain
- And more
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Calgary, you don’t have to navigate the legal process alone. Our Calgary car crash lawyers are ready to advocate for your rights and help you pursue the compensation you need to recover.
What to Do if You’ve Been Injured in a Car Accident in Calgary
Motor vehicle accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. Here are some immediate steps to take if you’ve been involved in a car accident:
- Don’t Leave the Scene: Doing so may put you under extra scrutiny and expose you to criminal charges. If you’re physically able, remain on the scene until the appropriate authorities have been contacted.
- Safety First: If it is safe to do so, put your hazard lights on, get out of your vehicle, and move out of traffic while you wait for assistance.
- Gather information: Exchange information with the other driver(s), including their name, insurance information, contact information, and license plate number. If there are witnesses, we recommend you gather their contact information as well.
- Get Medical Attention: Sometimes injuries present themselves immediately in a motor vehicle accident. Other times, your injuries may take weeks to surface. For example, brain injury symptoms or conditions causing chronic pain can take months to set in. We recommend you get medical attention either way, especially if you suspect you may have a concussion, whiplash, or other serious injuries. Obtaining an official medical report from a medical professional may also be helpful if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim in the future.
- Police Report: Make sure you obtain a copy of the police report following the motor vehicle accident. It should be noted that, in Calgary, you are required by law to report a car accident within 24 hours if combined damages exceed $5,000.
- Reporting the Accident: If you have been injured and wish to seek fair compensation for your injuries, you will need to report the accident to your insurance company, regardless of who is at fault.
- Contact our Calgary Car Crash Lawyers: If you have sustained injuries and require legal help pursuing your motor vehicle accident claim, contact our law firm for a free initial consultation.
What if You’ve Been Injured by an Unknown or Uninsured Driver in Calgary?
If you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident and the driver either fled the scene or was not insured, there are still various forms of recourse that you can pursue.
The Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act (MVAC) is a program that allows for payment toward personal injury damages, but not property damage. The program, which was created in 1947, is funded by the provincial government. Applying for benefits under the MVAC can be complicated, as a number of criteria must be satisfied before determining an individual’s eligibility. MVAC is only a final option if all other avenues of compensation have been exhausted.
At this stage, we recommend you reach out to Preszler Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to see what options might be available to you. We can help you pursue the maximum compensation you may be entitled to based on your injuries.
How to Pursue Compensation for Your Injuries Following a Car Accident in Calgary
There are two main ways you can pursue compensation for your injuries following a motor vehicle accident in Calgary: Section B no-fault benefits or personal injury litigation.
Section B Benefits
No-fault benefits are part of the province’s mandatory motor vehicle insurance policy. These are referred to as Section B Benefits and cover things like:
- Medical and rehabilitation costs
- Funeral expenses
- Loss of income
- Housekeeper expenses
- Death benefits
- And more
These benefits are available irrespective of who was at fault and have a limit of up to $50,000. Claimants generally have up to 2 years from the date of their accident to receive these benefits.
How do car accident lawsuits work in Calgary?
In some cases, Section B Benefits may not provide adequate compensation following a serious motor vehicle accident. For example, if you have a traumatic brain injury or have permanent injuries that prevent you from working, doing normal household work, or even completing activities like picking up your children from school, you may need greater financial assistance.
In situations like this, we recommend hiring a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the insurer(s) of the drivers at fault so you can pursue fair compensation. This is a form of personal injury litigation, and can allow you to recover many different types of damages.
When you file a lawsuit against a responsible party in Calgary, you may be compensated for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are also called pecuniary damages, special damages, or monetary damages, and are meant to provide financial compensation for tangible losses you have experienced. Non-economic damages may also be referred to as non-pecuniary damages or general damages. They function to compensate victims for the emotional or intangible harm they’ve suffered.
These categories include compensation for things like:
- Cost of medical care, medical treatment, or physical therapy, present and future
- Loss of income
- Loss of property
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Housekeeping and home maintenance costs
- And more
How Do Car Accident Lawsuits Work in Calgary and How Can Our Lawyers Help?
When you decide to pursue a lawsuit against an at-fault party, you will have the opportunity to pursue the compensation you need beyond Section B benefits. As described above, you may be eligible for different types of damages, like general and special damages. The kind or amount you’re entitled to will depend on the severity of your accident and its effect on your quality of life.
By working with an experienced Calgary car crash attorney, you can navigate the legal process with confidence. When beginning your legal claim, you should:
- Hire a Lawyer: While it’s not mandatory to hire a lawyer, we recommend you do. This is because an experienced team will have the knowledge needed to build a case that supports your best interests. Our Calgary car accident lawyers can help you determine who is at fault for the accident. We’ll also take the relevant steps to gather evidence and build a case on your behalf. We refer to this part of the lawsuit as the initial investigation. Depending on your case, our lawyers may requisition police files and medical records, or work with engineers or vocational experts to investigate your case. We will also work with medical professionals to put treatment plans in place for your recovery. Our primary concern is always your health and well-being.
- Statement of Claim: A lawsuit is initiated when a Statement of Claim is filed in the Court of King’s Bench in Alberta. This is a legal document that initiates a lawsuit against the at-fault driver (and their insurance company). Our car accident attorneys will take care of this. The statement of claim will also outline the damages that our team calculated (the compensation you deserve) and our reasoning for it.
- Litigation: The litigation process includes things like questioning for discovery, mediation, and in some cases, going to trial to settle your claim. During this part of the lawsuit, our team may hire more experts to help strengthen our arguments. All the expenses for this are paid for by our legal team and will only be recovered from you if we successfully obtain compensation on your behalf. We will also deal with the insurance agents, insurance defence lawyers, and other parties involved in the litigation process. With our proven track record of success in court, obtaining favourable settlements for victims, you can feel confident with our Calgary car accident lawyers on your side.
While you work on getting better and healing, our legal team will take care of all the paperwork and correspondence with insurance companies and related parties to make sure you are not overwhelmed with the administrative aspects of your lawsuit. The best part is, you don’t pay us anything until we win.
How Can Our Law Firm Help With Your Car Accident Claim?
Benefits of Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit If You’ve Been Injured
When you’re injured in a car accident, you deserve the maximum amount of compensation you’re entitled to begin your recovery. Because Section B benefits may not provide adequate coverage, car accident lawsuits are an excellent option to recover restitution for economic and non-economic damages alike. Some advantages include:
- Additional Compensation: One of the main advantages of filing a lawsuit versus pursuing compensation through Section B Benefits (for cases involving serious injuries) is that you can recoup losses for all the things that are not covered by accident benefits. For example, if you’ve lost income that’s not supplemented by Section B Benefits, you can seek it back in the lawsuit. You’re also able to seek compensation for pain and suffering, which compensates you for changes to your life that are not monetary (i.e. you can’t sleep, you’re depressed, you’re anxious because you have chronic pain or injuries that are harder to diagnose).
- Past & Future Compensation: Another benefit of filing a lawsuit is that you can pursue compensation for injuries that may get progressively worse over time. A good personal injury lawyer will have the foresight to seek compensation for both your present injuries and potential future needs. 5, 10, or 20 years down the road, you may still require support. At our firm, we’ve seen many cases where people’s injuries get worse over time, or result in chronic pain, and continue to negatively affect their lives long after their lawsuit has been settled.
- Fewer Injury Caps: Alberta has a cap on accident benefits claims. This means that your non-pecuniary or pain and suffering damages are capped at a certain amount if you have a minor injury. However, in many personal injury lawsuits, damages may not be capped. A good lawyer will help you get the full amount of compensation you’re entitled to.
At Preszler Injury Lawyers, our Calgary car crash attorneys have extensive experience handling car crash lawsuits on behalf of our clients. We’ll walk you through every stage of the legal process. Contact our law firm today for a free consultation to determine what course of action may be best for you.
Types of Motor Vehicle Accident Lawsuits We Can Help With
At Preszler Injury Lawyers, we pride ourselves on the broad and effective representation we’re able to offer clients. We have advanced claims for all types of motor vehicle accidents, including but not limited to:
- Truck accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians
- Motorcycle accidents
- Car accidents
- ATV accidents
- Snowmobile accidents
- Bus accidents
- Motorized e-bike accidents
- 18-wheeler accidents
- Public transportation accidents
- Boating and other watercraft accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- And more
How Much Do Our Calgary Car Accident Lawyers Cost?
At Preszler Injury Lawyers, our firm acts on a contingency fee basis. This means that you don’t pay us anything unless we win your lawsuit for you.
Your initial consultation with our team will be completely free. You will also not be obligated to continue working with our team following our first meeting. The entire litigation process will also be funded by us until we reach a successful settlement on your behalf.
If we do successfully recover compensation for you, our fee will come out of a percentage of your winnings. This percentage will be discussed with you upfront, so that you have a clear understanding of how our contingency fee will affect your final settlement. This process allows our clients in Calgary to access personalized legal services without worrying about the financial burden. This way, you can focus on your recovery while we take care of all aspects of your lawsuit.
Why Choose Our Calgary Car Accident Lawyers?
We aim to take a personalized approach to every personal injury claim we handle. Our experienced Calgary car accident attorneys will help you:
- Determine the Strength of Your Claim: We can evaluate the severity of your accident injury, the fault of another driver, and the circumstances of your incident to determine the strength of your car accident claim. If we believe you have the potential for a compelling case, we can advise you on your legal options and appropriate next steps.
- Calculate What You’re Entitled To: We take a collaborative approach to the calculation process, working with medical, financial, and vocational experts to determine the exact losses you have incurred.
- Deal with Insurance Companies: Insurance adjusters can be difficult or tedious to communicate with when you’re seeking benefits. At Preszler Injury Lawyers, we put our legal experience to work when it comes to insurance negotiations. We’ll examine the initial settlements insurance providers offer to make sure you receive fair compensation.
Contact Our Calgary Car Crash Lawyer Today for a Free, No-Obligation Consultation
If you or someone you know has recently been in a motor vehicle accident, contact our law firm for a free consultation with one of our Calgary car accident lawyers.
During this consultation, you can ask our legal team if your claim is worth pursuing, how long it may take to settle, and any other questions you may have. We have been helping injured Canadians since 1959 and are ready to put our combined experience to work for you.
Call 1-888-295-8191 now or contact us online– we are open 24/7 to take your call.
Calgary Car Accidents: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average settlement for a car accident in Calgary?
There is no average settlement amount for car accident claims in Calgary. An accident injury settlement will vary widely depending on the particular circumstances of each case.
Some factors that might affect the value of your final settlement include:
- The severity of your injuries
- The types of accidents involved
- Past and future medical expenses
- Loss of income or earning capacity
- Extent of pain and suffering
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- And more
How long does it take to settle a car accident claim in Calgary?
The timeline for a car accident claim can vary widely. Reaching a settlement may take a few months or several years. Some factors that may affect the length of time it takes to settle include:
- The complexity of the case
- The severity of injuries sustained
- Whether the injured person has fully recovered
- Whether liability is disputed (e.g., partial liability)
- Insurance company cooperation
- Whether the case goes to court
Settling a claim may take longer when severe or traumatic injuries are involved, as many personal injury teams recommend waiting to proceed until medical conditions are stable. An experienced accident injury lawyer will be able to keep the legal process moving efficiently.
When should I hire a car accident lawyer?
You should contact a personal injury lawyer about your accident as soon as possible. When you begin working with a legal professional early on, you can:
- Get help with your Section B benefits and insurance paperwork
- Avoid common mistakes that might hurt your claim
- Compile evidence quickly
- Organize medical documentation compellingly
- And more
At Preszler Injury Lawyers, all initial consultations for car accident victims are free and come with no obligation.
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