Many Albertans are struggling to make ends meet. We could all use some extra money, especially during this difficult time. Did you know that if you were injured in an accident within the last 2 years, there could be money set aside for you, just waiting to be claimed? It’s true. To find out if you qualify, use this checklist:
- Were you injured in or by a motor vehicle such as a car, truck, motorcycle, van, or semi within the past 2 years?
- Was the injury not your fault or only partially your fault?
- Was the injury not covered by WCB?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, you can make a personal injury claim to recover your money. Here’s how it works: any time someone is injured in Alberta through the fault of someone else, they are entitled to compensation for things caused by the injury accident including:
- Pain and suffering;
- Mental suffering such as depression or anxiety;
- Lost wages from missing work;
- Missed promotions;
- Negative effects on schoolwork;
- Inability to do chores around the house such as mowing the lawn or doing laundry.
When someone causes an accident and it results in an injury to someone else, that person has an obligation to notify their insurance company as soon as possible. When the insurance company receives the notification, they immediately assign employees called “Insurance Adjusters” or “Claims Adjusters” to the claim. What does an Insurance Adjuster or a Claims Adjuster do? One of their most important jobs is determining how much the insurance company must pay you for your claim.
Within a short time after hearing about the accident and your injury, usually 2 weeks, the Insurance Adjuster sets what’s known as a “reserve.” A reserve is an amount of money set aside for you by the insurance company, to cover the amount you’re owed for your injury. At first, the reserve is a guess, but as the Insurance Adjuster learns more about your injuries, he or she can increase the reserve. Unfortunately it’s in the best interest of the insurance company to pay you as little as possible, so it is important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side to make sure you get every last dollar you’re entitled to.
Claiming Your Money
If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a motor vehicle, even as a pedestrian or bicyclist, within the last 2 years and it wasn’t your fault, there’s likely an insurance company that has money set aside for you. If you don’t claim it, the insurance company will simply keep it and count it as profit for their shareholders.
And even if you were injured by someone who wasn’t insured, or in a hit-and-run, there is a government program designed to make sure you get your claim money, and we can access it for you. It’s quick and easy to find out if there’s money set aside for you; simply contact us and we’ll book you a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our Alberta personal injury lawyers. We’ll help you get your money from the insurance company, and you won’t have to pay us anything unless and until we do.
