Surrey Accident Lawyers

An accident can leave you facing an uncertain future. Between worrying about the costs of your ongoing care and trying to make up for lost time from work, an accident does not just leave physical and emotional injuries–it also creates a financial trauma for you and your family going forward. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may be entitled to compensation, either from your own insurance company or a negligent third-party.

The Surrey accident lawyers at Preszler Injury Lawyers help accident victims just like you every day. We only represent plaintiffs in personal injury cases. We also work exclusively on a contingency basis. This means we do not get paid until you do. Our primary focus is always on obtaining the compensation you are legally owed for your accident.

Avoid Dealing With Insurance Companies Without Legal Advice

If you drive and own a motor vehicle in B.C., you are probably insured by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) thru a Basic Autoplan. This is a kind of “no-fault” coverage, meaning your benefits are not conditioned on establishing someone else’s fault. However, if another insured driver did cause your accident, ICBC can be held responsible for those damages, as well.

Since an insurance company’s job is to minimize its own liability, ICBC adjusters will often try to deflect responsibility away from another insured driver onto you. Many people inadvertently undermine their ICBC claim by speaking to the adjuster without the assistance of a lawyer. This is almost always a mistake, as accident victims–who are already in a compromised state due to trauma–may say or do something that will be used against them later. Indeed, some people panic when questioned by an insurance company and simply lie, which is never a good idea.

By hiring a lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, you can ensure that all communication between you and ICBC (or another insurance company) is handled in a professional manner. At Preszler Injury Lawyers, we understand how to deal with insurers. We also know how to conduct our own investigation of an accident, rather than leaving it up to the insurance adjuster. Knowledge is power when it comes to any accident claim, and our lawyers will make sure you do not enter a settlement negotiation or courtroom without having full possession of the facts.

What You Need to do Following an Accident

Preszler Injury Lawyers handles more than car accidents. We can also represent you if you have been injured in a slip and fallor pedestrian accident. We also assist individuals who are injured in the workplace and need help with obtaining short- or long-term disability benefits.

With any kind of accident, there are a few basic things you can do before speaking with a lawyer:

• Take pictures of the accident scene. Fortunately, we live in an age when just about everyone has a small, portable hi-resolution camera on their phone. Creating a visual record of the area surrounding your accident can be helpful to your lawyer in reconstructing what happened. Just as importantly, having an in-the-moment record can discourage defendants or witnesses from tampering with evidence.
• Always identify any witnesses who observed the accident or the events leading up to it. At this stage, you do not want to have a detailed discusionwith any potential witnesses. You want to take down their name and contact information so you can give it to your lawyer for future reference.
• If you are in a car accident of any kind–even as a motorcyclist or a pedestrian–it is a good idea to contact the local police. This does not necessarily mean the police will come to the scene, especially if nobody appears to be seriously injured. But the police will create an official record of your accident report, which can be helpful down the line in dealing with an insurance company.
• Regardless of how serious you think your accident is–or is not–always seek immediate medical attention. Even if you just go to a local clinic or make an appointment with your regular doctor, the sooner you start to create a medical record of the accident, the easier it will be to present a claim for damages later. Too many accident lawsuits in B.C. run into problems because of “gaps” in a victim’s treatment history.

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

The longer you delay in speaking with a Surrey accident lawyer, the worse your legal position may be if it is necessary to file a personal injury claim against the negligent parties. British Columbia imposes strict time limits for bringing such lawsuits, so any delay will ultimately work against you. So if you have been in an accident and would like to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation, contact Preszler Injury Lawyers today.