If you have never been involved in a motor vehicle accident before, it can be difficult to know what to do when one occurs. Not only will you be shaken up by the fact that the accident occurred, but you will likely have sustained injuries as well. On top of all of this, the accident will probably have happened on a busy roadway with traffic all around.
It is important to keep calm and obtain as much information from the scene of the accident as you can. This should include the names and driver’s license numbers of any other drivers involved in the accident, the names and insurance information of the owners of any other vehicles involved in the accident, and the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident. Even if the police or emergency medical services personnel attend the scene of the accident, they may not be able to obtain all of this information.
Once you have left the scene of the accident and received any urgent medical care that you require, it is important to notify ICBC of the accident. This can be done over the telephone by calling ICBC’s Dial-a-Claim service.
Effective May 1, 2021, the law in British Columbia concerning motor vehicle accidents changed, with the primary result being that situations in which you can now sue an at-fault driver for your injuries arising from an accident are extremely limited.
If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident prior to May 1, 2021 and have been dealing with ICBC on your own, it is not too late to speak to a lawyer about your claim. As long as you have not yet settled your claim and depending on how long ago the accident occurred, a lawyer can still provide you with valuable advice.
At Patten Thornton, one of our motor vehicle accident lawyers will be happy to sit down with you to discuss your claim arising from a motor vehicle accident that occurred prior to May 1, 2021. We offer a consultation that lasts as long as it takes for us to provide you with the advice you need. If you decide to retain our firm to act for you in pursuing your motor vehicle accident claim, our fees are calculated on a contingency fee basis, which means that we won’t take a fee until and unless you receive compensation.