The days, weeks and months after a catastrophic personal injury can be devastating for victims and their families. In the briefest moment, a transformative event such as a motor vehicle accident, a major slip and fall or a dog attack could change an individual’s life forever. It’s at that point that they need the support of a qualified and experienced personal injury law team to advocate on their behalf and ensure they obtain the medical resources they need to make a full recovery.

Gaining access to that required medical help can be challenging and is often facilitated through a personal injury lawyer and their support staff, including the healthcare professionals with whom they maintain strong professional relationships—and the networks they can access for additional medical care when needed—as well as the many other key stakeholders that together build out an injured party’s support team. That’s why choosing the right personal injury lawyer for your needs can dramatically improve the chances of a successful post-accident recovery.

Time is of the essence

It’s common for patients and their families to be so overwhelmed in the wake of a major personal injury that they become lost in the system. They simply don’t know who to ask for help or where to find it. Time passes and the window of opportunity to seek compensation can pass without their knowledge.

Doctors, nurses and hospital support workers will provide assistance, of course, but their focus is on acute care and getting patients discharged from hospital as quickly as possible. Once those patients are released from a hospital’s care, with few exceptions, the injured party and their family are left to navigate the post-discharge medical, rehabilitation and insurance claim system on their own.

That’s why engaging a qualified personal injury lawyer early in this process is so important. So, too, is understanding the law. Did you know that:

• In Ontario, individuals injured in motor vehicle accidents must apply for Statutory Accident Benefits (SABS) within 30 days of receiving an application from their insurer
• Claims against municipalities for slip and fall injuries require written notice to the municipality within 10 days of the accident, as per the Municipal Act, 2001
• Most personal injury claims in Ontario must be filed within two years of the incident under the Limitations Act, 2002

Failure to meet these deadlines can result in the loss of the right to claim compensation, or to file insurance or benefits claims.

The role that personal injury lawyers can play in your recovery

The personal injury law system in Ontario is designed to help individuals that have been injured by accident or negligence to obtain the compensation and support they need. Often overlooked, personal injury lawyers play a key role in patient recovery, facilitating the transition from hospital care to home by securing resources for long-term care and rehabilitation.

For example, the Leone Murray LLP team typically works with our injured clients’ doctors and attending medical professionals to understand their short-, medium- and long-term care needs. Our goal is to ensure that our clients obtain adequate compensation to make a full recovery so they can live life on their terms. In some cases, a return to their pre-injury normal isn’t possible. That’s when our team collaborates with the client’s physician and rehabilitation team to determine how their future will be impacted by their physical or mental injuries—and what level of care and compensation might be required to provide the requisite ongoing care.

Advocacy for a comprehensive discharge plan

When the discharge phase is approaching, having an experienced team of objective and qualified professionals by your side can result in transformative outcomes. How?

Personal injury lawyers will work with a patient’s healthcare team to build a discharge plan to ensure they have access to post-hospital resources. Again, this is the period when re-injury (and hospital re-admission) so frequently occurs as patients are sometimes discharged before they’re ready or able to exit the acute care stage of their recovery. Overworked hospital administrators are under constant pressure to free beds, so there are times when discharge decisions are made that are suboptimal for the injured patient and their family

After building out a comprehensive case file detailing a patient’s unique injury circumstances (including their long-term recovery prognosis), our team will liaise with the client’s doctors and medical support professionals to craft a post-discharge plan. That post-discharge plan will often include (but will not be limited to):

• Rehabilitation services
• Occupational/physical therapy
• Concussion treatment
• Speech therapy
• Orthopedic care
• Mental health care (psychiatrist/psychologist)
• Home care/life care planning
• Forensic accounting (to help determine everything from the financial resources needed to fund rehabilitation or ongoing care to lost wages resulting from their injury)

We help enable continuity of care by helping clients secure the financial and support resources they need, thereby reducing the risks of setbacks or re-admissions. A crucial piece of that puzzle is helping them navigate insurance and benefits claims to obtain coverage for in-home care, rehabilitation and other post-discharge needs. As noted in recent blogs insurance firms are incentivized to deny or minimize claims. It’s in their best financial interests to offer an injured party less compensation than they’re contractually entitled. A personal injury lawyer’s well-attuned advocacy can counter those tactics and deliver a satisfactory outcome.

Lastly, ensuring a successful patient discharge means helping to relieve the immediate financial burden. At Leone Murray LLP, we cover the majority of out-of-pocket medical expenses for our clients (including securing the services of expert witnesses) to ensure they receive the best available treatment without incurring unnecessary hardship. Because we operate on a contingency basis, our clients’ costs are generally covered by our firm, then balanced once their case has been won. That level of support is typically necessary to ensure a patient’s post-discharge success, while minimizing the burden and stress on their family members.

In Part 2 of this mini-series, we’ll explore how personal injury law firms support long-term patient care and community reintegration.

The Leone Murray LLP Team

If you’ve sustained a significant personal injury, know that the Leone Murray LLP team is here to provide expert legal guidance and support. Our compassionate team is dedicated to helping you manage the legal process and obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free case assessment.

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Why choose Leone Murray LLP

Expertise: Our law firm specializes in personal injury law, which means we know the ins and outs of insurance, what you’re entitled to, and the next steps if you or your loved one is involved in a motor vehicle accident in Ontario.

Compassionate Care: We take a client-first approach, ensuring you receive both the legal expertise and emotional support you need during this difficult time.

No Upfront Fees: Some insurance providers may require you to take on additional costs related to medical assessments or specialist treatments. We pay these upfront fees on your behalf while fighting for your rights, saving that added stress so you can focus on your complete recovery.