On September 27th, 2022, The Lawyer's Daily published an important article by Campisi personal injury lawyer Ashu Ismail.
"Impact of Ontario's Healthcare Crisis on Personal Injury Law, Claimaints" describes the current state of personal injury law from two important perspectives: first, from the perspective of the litigation process and resulting outcomes, and secondly, from the perspective of accident victims' recovery experiences and mental health. Both of these areas are suffering as a result of the healthcare crisis.
Ismail explains how delays in fulfilling patient needs for diagnostic imaging, specialist consultations, rehabilitation, and treatment (for example) can lead to gaps in medical history and difficulty collecting the necessary documentation to participate in good-faith mediation. Not only is the litigation process taking longer, but also affidavits of documents may be "incomplete when finally served".
When diagnostics and treatment plans are delayed, accident benefit claims are delayed, and therefore the victim's ability to move forward with treatment is also delayed. The drawn out process means that accident victims are waiting longer to get the support they need, and they are experiencing the added stress of an unsettled claim. sometimes for years. The combination of these physical and mental setbacks can jeopardize their recovery and overall mental health.
Ismail closes her article with recommendations for action that will improve the current situation, and provide better outcomes for accident victims. These are recommendations that the team at Campisi follows to obtain the best results for our clients.
For more information, check The Lawyer's Daily, or access the complete article here.