Catastrophic injury claims are particularly devastating in Kitchener. From the perspective of an injury lawyer, this is the most difficult type of case that they deal with. The ring to the word catastrophic itself is determining when it comes to it. However, when it comes to the law, this term has a specific meaning, as it is defined in the Insurance Act which is in full force in Ontario.
With this in mind, if you are subjected to compensation for catastrophic damages under the act, you will be eligible for an amount which is greater than the usual. Of course, this sounds a bit abstract, so let’s go ahead and take a more particular and precise look:
1. $1,000,000 in medical as well as thorough rehabilitative benefits – under the Minor Injury Guideline you would be only entitled to $50,000.
2. Up to $1,000,000 in care benefits for attendants, instead of the inconsiderable $36,000 under the aforementioned guidelines.
3. Furthermore, you can claim up to $100/week for housekeeping as well $250/week for a caregiver as well as $50 more for each dependent. Guess how much the guidelines specified above allow for this? Zero!
As you can see, the difference is more than just significant. If your accident is characterized as a “catastrophic” then you would be able to claim a substantial amount of money. However, how to understand whether that’s the case or not? Well, the law is precise.
In order for your accident to be classified as catastrophic, a licensed and practicing doctor has to submit a form OCF-19. This is the shorter name for the Application for Determination of Catastrophic Impairment. There are quite a lot of different criteria which have to be met under the 4th Edition of the AMA Guidelines.
However, one thing that you should consider is that this is a complex and difficult process mainly because the specifications are particularly challenging. A lot of doctors do not feel comfortable filling out the OCF-19 because they are unfamiliar with the language to a certain extend. Furthermore, it is also worth noting that in order to fill it out, the patient needs to have undergone significant and particularly comprehensive medical and more precisely – orthopedic examination.
The best thing that you could do is to go ahead and have an injury lawyer, as well as doctor on your side for this one. It might be an investment, but refer to the numbers outlined above to see whether or not it’s worth it. This form could be the reason for half a million dollars on top of your compensation.
This is precisely, why it is important to hire an injury lawyer to represent your case instead of trying to do it on your own. Most people lose out on the much needed compensation because they decide to represent themselves. Don’t make that mistake but hire a good lawyer.