Mississauga Personal Injury Law Blog

A fiery car accident in downtown Kitchener on May 3 resulted in the death of two women. Two other individuals who were involved in the accident remain in the hospital. The reason for the crash is reportedly still under investigation.

According to reports, the crash occurred when a van drove through a bus terminal bay on Gaukel Street. The vehicle struck a concrete planter. Witnesses were able to remove the driver and three passengers before the vehicle caught fire. However, the two women died from their injuries.

It appears that the Ontario government has reinstated a previous default settlement amount for catastrophically injured personal injury victims. The default settlement limit was restored to it’s previous amount of $2 million.

In 2016, the government decided to reduce the settlement limit to $1 million. However, legal professionals lobbied that was not a sufficient amount for their clients. Catastrophically injured clients include those that suffer from brain damage, as well as paraplegics and quadriplegics.

Ontario police say they are looking for a pickup truck that was involved in a hit-and-run crash in Markham on Apr. 22. Two pedestrians, a 45-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man, were injured; the woman suffered serious injuries while the man received mild injuries. The woman remains in the hospital for treatment for her injuries, which were described as "life-threatening." The collision in Markham took place near the corner of Yonge Street and Meadowview Avenue. While the precise time of the crash has not been pinpointed, police were summoned to the scene at 8:25 p.m.

Police said that there were a number of witnesses to the motor vehicle collision. Some witnesses called 911 while others ran into the road to help the wounded pedestrians. Video surveillance footage from nearby cameras also captured the collision and footage of the white pickup truck responsible. Both the man and the woman were in the crosswalk crossing the street when the truck ran into them before pulling away. Police publicly released the footage of the accident although they blurred the images of the pedestrians.

Anyone in Ontario can pursue a civil lawsuit against a person or entity that caused him or her injuries. Such a claim is known as a personal injury, or tort claim. It requires the victim, or plaintiff, to prove to the court that the defendant was negligent and at least partially at fault for causing the car accident or another incident that led to personal injury. Tort claims are typically filed in provincial court.