Understanding More about Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule

Even though personal injury law is particularly vast area of the law, there are certain divisions which are a lot more common than others. For instance, motorcycle accidents in the state of Ontario are incredibly common occurrence due to the large number of actual bike riders. However, as of the last year, there are certain amendments in the legislation which relates to the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule in Ontario. This impacts the practice of almost every personal injury lawyer in Cambridge who has decided to practice law in this particular field of expertise. It is a common reason for slip and fall injuries, orthopedic and even spinal injuries.

Features of SABS

The fact is that the changes introduced to the SABS are not actually affecting the different types of particular accident benefits which are being offered. They are directed towards the amount that the Ontario drivers as well as passengers are going to receive if they have been injured in automobile accident. Almost every Personal Injury Lawyer in Cambridge is going to advise you to file for the rehabilitation as well as for the care benefits if you have been the victim in a car accident. However, this is one of the targeted areas by the amendments and there are significant changes in the limitations of the amounts.

The current legislation puts the injury in three particular groups based on the severity of the damages incurred by the injured party. With this in mind, the three different groups are going to be limited to a particular extend. If the compensatory claim which is being filed exceeds this particular limit, it will be reduced by the court and this is not a subject to appealing, which should be considered by the Personal Injury Lawyer in Cambridge.

  • Minor injuries – the compensation limit for rehabilitation and care benefits is set up to $3,500
  • Non-minor injuries – the limit for these injuries is currently altered and set up to $50,000 which are available for both medical and rehabilitation benefits
  • Catastrophic injuries – as the name suggests, these are the most severe of them all and the limit is set to $1,000,000. In addition to this amount of money, the injured party involved who has suffered catastrophic injuries is also able to receive up to another $1,000,000 in benefits for attendant care. These are specifically designated to cover the expenses which are done for the required nursing home.

The changes are overall considered to be positive as they serve a double-faced purpose. They would limit the responsibility of the person who has manifested the negligent behavior to a certain extend as the purpose of personal injury law is only to compensate but not to punish. At the same time it gives the claiming Personal Injury Lawyer in Cambridge a clear statement as per what the maximum amount of money that he can claim is.