If you have fallen victim of an accident and you want to get reparation for the damages you’ve had to incur, you need to notify anyone who might be found responsible. Here is where some people trip over because they think they need to know who the “at fault” party actually is. This is not the case – you need to file a Letter Of Intent towards the people or entities that you just think are at fault. This may include the company owning the bus driven by the other party in the accident, third parties who took part and others of the kind. The fault determination comes at a stage which is much later in Ontario.
Why is fault irrelevant?
It is important to understand that fault is not irrelevant. However, the province of Ontario is governed by the Rules of Fault Determination and they introduce the no-fault rule which allows the victim to seek reparation directly from the insurance company without regard to who is at fault.
However, fault is assigned later on when the insurance company does its internal investigation. This is going to increase the premiums of the party who is found to be faulty. Nevertheless, if the insurance company decides to disprove your claim and to reject it, your other option is to sue to faulty driver or the party who was negligent. This is going to require you to have notified them in advance and that’s why this is done in the beginning after the accident has taken place. Typically, you have 14 days to send out the notification letter.
The Notification Letter
This is just a simple piece of letter which is going to make the parties aware that you have been injured in an accident that they were involved in. This is going to ensure that you have given them time to prepare for potential lawsuits.
Keep in mind that the notification letter should be concise yet brief and it shouldn’t reveal too much information – just what’s necessary. This is why it is beneficial for you to rely on the expertise of a professional and experienced personal injury lawyer who is going to ensure that the case is handled as per the Ontario legal standards.
With this in mind, once the notification letter has been conveniently sent out, you will have 2 years to determine whether or not you want to pursue the matter in court. This is a reasonable amount of time for both parties. Failing to send out this letter will bring very serious and harmful consequences for your case – this is something that you should take into proper consideration. It is very important that you do not disregard it.
Thus, consult an experienced lawyer soon after the accident so that you don’t miss the deadline to file for a claim. Allow the lawyer to represent your rights in the court of law.