numbers

ICBC Injury Guide

At Klein Lawyers, we know how car accidents can cause severe injuries that lead to lost wages and a host of lingering physical, emotional and financial problems for victims and their loved ones.

If you are facing injuries from a car accident in British Columbia, you can file an ICBC claim for medical benefits that will cover your treatment and rehabilitation costs. You can also file a claim for wage-loss assistance. If another driver caused your auto accident, you may also be entitled to file a claim against that driver.

Klein Lawyers can help you to explore all of your options and provide you with a car accident injury guide. For more than 20 years, we have helped car accident victims in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia with ICBC injury claims. Thousands of our clients have obtained the medical and wage-loss benefits they needed due to their injuries.

Contact us today to learn more in a free consultation about your case.

ICBC Injury Lawyer: Why Should You See a Doctor after a Car Accident?

If you were involved in a car accident in Vancouver, you should get examined by a doctor without delay. If you have not already done so, go to the emergency room or see your primary care physician. This is important for two reasons:

  • You need to protect your health – Like many people, you may believe that you suffered only vehicle damage in a crash and managed to escape with minor aches and pains. However, those aches and pains could be signs of more severe – but not readily apparent – injuries such as brain injury, spinal cord damage, soft tissue injury and internal bleeding. You will not know unless a doctor examines you.
  • You need to protect your legal rights – When you file an ICBC injury claim, you will need to provide evidence that your injuries arose from your motor vehicle accident. If you wait too long to get examined and treated for your injuries, ICBC may contend that your injuries are not accident-related. The ICBC claims adjuster may also question the severity of your injuries.

Klein Lawyers can recommend a team of medical professionals and has the experience to know when to recommend medical specialists as part of the overall care you receive in your post-car accident recovery.

Common Injuries Sustained in Car Accidents in Vancouver

It may help you to review our injury guide and understand the signs of different injuries that British Columbia drivers and passengers frequently suffer in auto accidents. These injuries include:

  • Back injuries Because the lower part of the spine endures a heavy amount of strain, with little structural support, it is highly susceptible to injury in a crash. Mild discomfort may indicate damage to muscles, tendons or ligaments, or it may be a sign of damage to the vertebrae, or bones, which protect the spinal column. If not promptly addressed, chronic pain can result from an accident-related back injury.
  • Head & Brain injuries – Even a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) such as a concussion can impair your ability to think, move and control your emotions. The loss of a consciousness after suffering a blow to the head, severe headaches, sensitivity to light and noise, irritability and concentration and memory difficulties may be symptoms of a brain injury.  Skull fractures, like brain injuries, may not be easy to detect. Serious and potentially life-threatening harm can result if the fracture causes internal bleeding that goes unchecked. Redness, swelling, bruising, tenderness or pain around the site that was struck in a crash and bleeding around the nose, eyes and ears can indicate a possible skull fracture.
  • Knee injuries – Tearing of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) within the knee are common in car accidents. Both injuries can be caused by a lateral force striking the knee while one’s foot is fixed to the ground. Sharp, sudden pain, feeling a “snap” or “pop” in your knee and the inability to put weight on your foot are signs of knee ligament injury.
  • Shoulder injuries – Separation and dislocation of the shoulder frequently occurs in an auto accident. A direct blow to the shoulder can also cause a torn rotator cuff, or damage to the group of four muscles that stabilize the shoulder and allow arm and shoulder movement. Pain, swelling and loss of motion in the shoulder joint are indicators of this potentially serious injury.
  • Whiplash – This injury is especially common in rear-end collisions. Whiplash can occur when an unexpected force causes your head to be violently thrust back and forth. Damage can occur to soft tissue and nerves in the neck. A victim may experience chronic pain.

If you have suffered these injuries or any other harm after being in a car accident, you should contact a lawyer in addition to seeking medical attention. The ICBC claims process can be confusing and complex. A lawyer can help you to avoid making mistakes that may be costly to you in the long run.

How Can a Car Accident Injury Lawyer Help with Your ICBC Claim?

Klein Lawyers can provide an immediate review of your case for no charge. We want you to protect your legal rights after you have suffered injuries in a car accident. We do not want concerns about the cost of hiring a lawyer to get in your way.

During a consultation, we can discuss the many ways we can help with your ICBC injury claim, including:

  • Investigating your accident – We can gather and analyze evidence of the cause of your crash, including whether another person’s careless or reckless driving contributed to the injuries you have sustained.
  • Assessing the full extent of your harm – We can review your medical records and consult with experts to determine the nature and extent of your injuries and the impact on your life and your ability to work. We can then calculate what should be sought in your ICBC injury claim.
  • Explore all of your options – We can review the options available to you through your own insurance coverage as well as what can be sought from any party that caused your accident.
  • Work with ICBC – While you focus on your recovery from the injuries you have suffered, we can deal directly with ICBC on your behalf and seek a settlement that will fully and fairly compensate you.
  • Take your case to mediation or court – Most auto accident injury cases can be resolved through an ICBC settlement. However, if necessary, our skilled lawyers can present the strongest case possible on your behalf in mediation or a trial in the Courts of British Columbia.

Klein Lawyers believes in keeping our clients fully informed. Throughout your ICBC injury claim, we will provide updates to you and always be available to answer questions about your case.

Contact Our Vancouver ICBC Injury Lawyer NowVictim calling an ICBC injury lawyer after a car accident in Vancouver

You should never accept an ICBC settlement without speaking with a lawyer first. You want to make sure that the full extent of your medical expenses, wage losses and other losses are fully covered in any settlement you accept.

At Klein Lawyers, we can work hard to seek the maximum amount for you. We will charge for our legal services only if we obtain a recovery for you.

Don’t wait to get help. Call us today or reach us online to get started. We serve clients in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia.

Sources / More Information