Personal Injury Lawyers Moncton/Dieppe

The damages that can be recovered for a claim depend on the unique facts of each claim. Our lawyers will assess compensation amounts for your claim based on the medical evidence, information on how the accident happened, and the impact of the injuries on your life. For a personal injury claim, damages are divided into different categories, including: Medical and treatment costs, past and future loss of income, loss of valuable services, general damages for pain and suffering, and future cost of care. For some claims, such as sexual assault claims, it may also be possible to claim aggravated and punitive damages.
Generally, the most significant driver of damages is whether the injuries are permanent and substantially limit or impact your ability to do things. Usually, the more severe the limitations, the higher the award of damages.
At Melanson Law, we work with you from the moment we are retained to ensure that you get the assessments and treatments necessary to support your personal injury claim. At our initial meeting, we will discuss the types of damages that you may be entitled to based on the accident and your injuries. As your claim progresses, we will continue to talk with you about how different diagnoses or medical opinions may impact your damages. We will discuss the availability of any interim methods of recovery, for example, other benefits or advance payments for you.
Prior to resolving your claim, we will discuss our provisional assessment with you in detail and ensure that we have all the information necessary to pursue the full amount of compensation you are entitled to. We will ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the law related to your claim and what compensation you may be entitled to. This will allow you to make informed decisions on our advice for resolving your claim.

The amount of time it takes to resolve your claim depends on the circumstances of the accident and the type and severity of the injuries sustained. Our personal injury lawyers have two primary goals in helping you resolve your claim: To resolve the claim as quickly as the system allows and for the maximum amount of compensation you are entitled to.
Many of the categories of compensation are calculated based on the permanent limitations from your injuries. It can take time for your injuries to reach maximum medical improvement and to receive the medical assessments and treatments required to reach that stage. The amount of time necessary to assess and rehabilitate the injuries often dictates, to a degree, the length of the claim. Claims that involve complex injuries that require extensive treatment often take the longest to resolve. Once your injuries have reached maximum medical improvement and are as good as they will get, then work can be finalized on resolving the claim.

At Melanson Law, we offer different fee models for our clients. Some clients choose to hire us at an hourly rate and pay by the hour. Most of our clients retain us on a contingency fee agreement.
With a contingency fee agreement, our legal fees are a percentage of the amount of compensation recovered. This means that there are no legal fees unless and until your claim is settled or there is an award at trial. As part of the contingency fee agreements, there are usually also different arrangements for expenses incurred on the file. These expenses can include the cost of documents and reports necessary to support the claim. For most cases, Melanson Law will usually agree to pay for these expenses on our client’s behalf, and the client does not pay for these amounts until the claim is settled or resolved.
Give us a call today to discuss what fee arrangements might be available for your claim.

Medical malpractice claims occur when a doctor, or another medical professional, makes a mistake that results in injury or loss. Medical malpractice can happen as the result of a failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis, misreading laboratory results, unnecessary surgery, surgical errors, improper medication, not taking appropriate patient history, or poor aftercare. A medical malpractice claim can also occur where the doctor or medical professional did not properly explain the risks of the treatment or procedure or did not get proper consent. If you have been injured as a result of medical malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation for: Expenses for medication and treatment, past and future loss of income, general damages for pain and suffering, loss of valuable services, future cost of care, and more.
Melanson Law has over 35 years of experience in the area of medical malpractice claims. We have represented clients who have suffered malpractice injuries from medical practitioners such as doctors, surgeons, dentists, and chiropractors. Medical malpractice claims are a complex area of law, and our lawyers have extensive experience in these types of claims. We are intimately familiar with the relevant statutes and laws. Our lawyers are also trained in trauma-informed practices to best support you throughout the claims process.
Melanson Law will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Injuries resulting from medical malpractice can be time-consuming and costly. It can often be difficult to get appropriate compensation from the doctor, medical practitioner, or hospital, and it may be necessary to bring a legal claim.
Consulting Saint John injury lawyers as soon as possible is important for medical malpractice claims. These claims often require securing evidence and expert opinions early. Melanson Law offers free consultations for medical malpractice claims. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment to discuss your potential claim.

Assess Whether Ambulance and/or Police Should Be Called
Assess whether it is appropriate to call the police, an ambulance, or both to the scene of the accident.
If anyone is seriously injured, call an ambulance immediately so the paramedics can assess the injury.
Section 130(1) of The Motor Vehicle Act RSNB 1973 requires that the driver of any vehicle involved in a motor vehicle accident report to the police any accident that results in: Injury to any person, death to any person, or property damage to the extent of one thousand dollars.
Not only is calling the police often a legal requirement, but it is usually beneficial to have the police at the scene of the accident so that there is an objective record of how the accident happened.

Exchange Information With Other Drivers and Witnesses
Ensure that you have the other drivers’ names, addresses, and motor vehicle insurance information. If possible, take photos of the insurance cards and the driver’s licences of all of the other drivers involved in the accident. This information will be necessary later for your insurance company and your lawyer.

Get the name and phone number of any witnesses to the accident, including the passengers in other vehicles. We often have clients who talk to witnesses at the scene of the accident and fail to get their names and contact information. It is often very difficult or impossible to track these witnesses down later. These witnesses could have vital information to corroborate how the accident happened.
Do not discuss the accident with anyone but the police. Avoid apologizing to anyone at the scene of the accident.

Take Photos
Take photos: Where the vehicles came to rest after the accident, any damage to the vehicles, and any marks or skid marks on the roadway. This information can be used to help corroborate how the accident happened and is important if an accident reconstruction report is needed.

Seek Medical Assessment
After the accident, individuals often have a rush of adrenaline or might be in shock from the event. It is very easy in this situation to miss the cues your body is trying to send you. If there is any possibility you might have been injured in the accident, visit the closest hospital’s emergency room, walk-in clinic, or your family physician asap. This will ensure any potential injuries are identified early and treated appropriately.

Call a Lawyer
It is important to know your legal rights and what compensation might be available to you after a motor vehicle accident. A lawyer can walk you through what types of insurance benefits might be available to you and what your legal rights are. Do not speak to the insurers of the other motor vehicles involved in the collision before you have consulted with a lawyer.

Call Your Motor Vehicle Insurer
All motor vehicles in New Brunswick are required to carry standard form automobile policies of insurance. Most individuals have access to health and property damage benefits after being involved in an accident, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. A lawyer can explain what types of benefits are available and how to access those benefits. If you choose not to talk with a lawyer, it is still important to call your insurer after the accident to report the accident and to discuss opening up a claim.