Physiotherapy is often prescribed to people who have suffered injuries or become disabled in accidents. It can help them better function in their daily lives, recuperate and regain their strength.

There are 7,500 licensed physiotherapists in Ontario alone, which speaks to the popularity of this type of therapy. Here are the answers to some common questions about physiotherapy.

How do physiotherapists work?
Physiotherapists combine in-depth knowledge of how the body works with specialized hands-on clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability.

What is the goal of physiotherapy?
A Physiotherapist’s goal is to restore, maintain and maximize your strength, function, movement and overall well-being. It aims to improve and maintain functional independence and physical performance; prevent and manage pain, physical impairments, disabilities and limits to participation and promote fitness, health and wellness.

By helping your body move and function to its fullest, physiotherapy can improve the quality of your life and make you stronger by improving your flexibility, freedom, mobility, vitality and so much more.

How is physiotherapy effective?
Physiotherapy is effective in treating patients from infants to the elderly, with a variety of conditions including heart and lung disease, trauma and athletic injuries, workplace injuries, arthritis and osteoporosis, stroke and brain injury, spinal cord and nerve injury, amputations, cancer, pre- and postsurgical, diabetes and incontinence.

If you have been injured in an accident and are undergoing treatment, speak to a lawyer immediately. You could be entitled to compensation.

Fuel consumption, comfort and price are important factors that many of us consider when purchasing a vehicle but safety features also need to be a top priority.

In a Public Opinion Survey done by Transport Canada, airbags and seat belts are among the most common safety features that Canadians recognize on their vehicles but they need to be used properly in order to achieve maximum protection.

Airbags

Airbags are essential in helping prevent injuries and death, especially in frontal (i.e. head-on) collisions. Airbags are inflatable devices that deploy in a fraction of a second during a serious collision. Make sure that you do the following each time you get into your vehicle:

• Always wear your lap and shoulder belt system. Airbags are not a replacement for seatbelts and are specifically designed to work with the seat belt restraint system. Failure to buckle-up will put you at significant, additional risk.
• Maintain distance between yourself and the airbag. Sit at least 10 inches (25 cm) away from the steering wheel airbag. Sitting any closer than 10 inches puts you (or your passengers) at risk of making contact with the airbag while it’s inflating.
• Tilt the steering wheel toward your chest, not your head or neck.
• Frontal airbags on the passenger side are larger, so passengers should move the vehicle seat back as far as possible to provide plenty of room.
• Front seat passengers should not put their feet or any objects on the dashboard.

Seat Belts

Transport Canada estimates that if all drivers and passengers always wore their seat belts, 300 lives would be saved every year in Canada. A seatbelt works by holding the occupant in place in the seat, reducing the risk of them striking the interior of the vehicle, colliding with other passengers or being ejected during impact or emergency braking.

A few key points to remember when using a seat belt:

• Wear a lap/shoulder belt system when available.
• Sit up straight and position the lap belt low over the pelvic bones / hips (not stomach) and the shoulder belt over the shoulder and across the chest. Never place the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back. It’s dangerous.
• All occupants in a vehicle must be properly wearing a seat belt whether in motion or not.
• During pregnancy, women should wear the lap belt snug, low over the pelvic bones (below the baby) and the shoulder belt snug against the chest. The baby will be safer if the mother is protected in a crash.

If you or someone you know has an auto related injury, contact Mazin & Associates, PC to schedule your free consultation.

Source: Whiplash Prevention Campaign

Some consumer products make noise loud enough to damage your hearing, including personal audio devices if played too loudly as well as some toys and tools that make very loud noises. The louder the noise and the longer you are exposed to it, the more dangerous it is.

Know the facts:

• An intense sound close to your ear (like from a cap gun or firecracker) can cause immediate and severe hearing loss that may be permanent.
• Using some consumer products regularly at very loud levels can lead to permanent hearing loss over time.
• If your personal stereo system is so loud that you cannot hear sounds around you (like traffic), your personal safety may be at risk.
• If someone standing a meter away from you has to shout to be understood, the sound levels around you are probably more than 85 decibels (dBA). You face a significant risk of permanent hearing loss if you are exposed to these sound levels for eight hours or more a day.
• If someone standing 30 cm away has to shout to be understood, the levels probably exceed 95 dBA. This means a significant risk of permanent hearing loss if you are exposed for 45 minutes or more a day.
• If someone has to shout into your ear to be understood, the sound levels around you probably exceed 105 dBA. There is a significant risk of permanent hearing loss if you are exposed for just five minutes a day.

How to protect your hearing:

• Reduce exposure to noise.
• Limit the amount of time you spend listening to loud music, or doing leisure activities that are really noisy.
• Know your noise limit. If someone a meter away from you must shout to be understood, the sound level of the toy, tool or electronic device is probably too loud and may be hazardous.
• Play music low. Keep your music at enjoyable, but safe levels. Reduce background noise so you can use a lower volume level.
• Wear ear protection. When you must be around loud noises that may be hazardous, wear a hearing protection device like earplugs or earmuffs. The device should be as well fitted as possible. See an audiologist for help.
• Plan quiet time. If you experience temporary hearing loss or tinnitus after leisure or work activities, be sure to schedule quiet time to allow your ears to recover fully.
• Buy quieter toys. If you have to yell to be heard above the sound of a toy, it is likely too loud for a child and should not be used. Look for sound-making toys that have volume-control features or an on/off switch so that sound can be kept low or turned off.
• If you or a family member has sustained a serious personal injury or permanent disability due to a consumer product, contact us to schedule your free consultation.

Source: Government of Canada.

Ontario adult drivers who say they have experienced at least one traumatic brain injury in their lifetime also report significantly higher incidents of serious road-related driving aggression.

A recent study conducted by St. Michael’s Hospital to examine if a link between traumatic brain injuries and road-related aggression and driving collisions also exists. The study points to the value of brain injury prevention, and screening and rehabilitation services for drivers who live with a traumatic brain injury, with the goal of assessing fitness to drive and other related cognitive skills. A traumatic brain injury is defined as trauma to the head that resulted in loss of consciousness for at least five minutes or overnight hospitalization.

Drivers with serious aggression reported significantly higher odds of being involved in a motor vehicle collision that resulted in hurting themselves, their passenger or their vehicle.

“Perhaps the burden of traffic collisions and road rage could be mitigated if we were mindful of the implications associated with a brain injury,” said Dr. Gabriela Ilie, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral fellow at St. Michael’s Hospital.

These data suggest links between TBI and hazardous driving behaviours, but at this early stage it’s difficult to find a direct correlation or if these relationships are causal.

Get the full report from St. Michael’s Hospital right here.

It is estimated that thousands of Canadians suffer traumatic brain injuries each year, the majority being young adults. Statistics indicate that the incidence of brain injury is two times greater in men.

Brain injury has become a significant medical and societal concern within the last 30 years. With advances in medical technology, many people who would have died are now surviving severe brain injuries. We’ve also learned that brain injuries should never be taken lightly.

We participate in activities every day that put us at risk of sustaining a brain injury, car accidents, slips and falls, bike accidents, boating accidents and so on. At times, the costs incurred by these injuries can be astronomical: financially, socially and emotionally.

Accidents happen, that is a fact of life. However, we need to take precautions to avoid brain injury. The majority of bicyclists who die each year die of brain injuries. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by helmets. In fact, there is a 52% reduction in bicycle-related deaths per year for children under 15 since the introduction of Ontario’s bike helmet law.

Although brain injuries cannot be seen, their effects can be extensive to the recipient and their family. We strive to improve the quality of life for those affected by a traumatic brain injury and to help promote brain injury prevention.

If you or a loved one has experienced a traumatic brain injury, contact us for a free consultation.

These days, social community forums have clearly changed the way that people communicate and work with the world. Most of people have social media account, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Myspace; which is a powerful network to communicate and engage with hundreds of thousands of people with a single click. It’s amazing to think that the things you post on social media can have negative impacts on your case and compensation to which you may be entitled. Unfortunately, almost anything can be used by the opposing party to make you look bad.

What we share on social media websites can impact us in many ways that we don’t consider. It can affect your school prospects, job opportunities, credit and loan applications and even court cases you may be involved with. Using information gathered about a person online termed as Social Media Discovery, has become more prevalent in recent years. Once you share something online, not only can friends and family see what you share; often strangers can as well. And some of these strangers could be employers, police officers, insurance agents or lawyers.

The two most crucial aspects of social media for purposes of gathering evidence to use in a personal injury case are what and when. Social networking websites record what activities you do, what words you say about how you feel, your plans–almost a daily log of your life for some people. Photos, status updates and messages on social community forum can be used against you in court proceedings and can adversely affect the chances of succeeding in your personal injury claim.

Lawyers know that social media can offer up a wealth of information that can help the cases of both. Your own pictures and posts can be used against you by defense teams to either draw conclusions or to try and poke holes in your case.

In general, we encourage you to be safe and responsible in your online usage, as it could be used unfairly against you to draw conclusions. Social media is a great way to talk to your friends, build a brand, help a cause, and have a lot of fun. Sadly, it is also a way for people to take advantage of you in the court room.

We have some advice for you if you have filed a case or your case is pending:

1. Don’t talk to strangers. Do not accept friend requests from people you don’t know; they could be an insurance adjuster or a defense attorney.
2. Check your privacy settings.
3. Remind your friends not to post messages, photos, or videos about you.
4. Do not discuss your medication or injuries with anyone online.

If you are in need of a personal injury lawyer to help you through an accident in Ontario, contact Mazin & Associates, PC, Personal Injury Lawyers on (416) 625-2122.

Hundreds of thousands of people are injured, and thousands killed, by distracted drivers each year. Distracted driving is driving while doing another activity that takes your attention away from driving. Distracted driving can increase the chance of a motor vehicle crash.

There are three main types of distractions:

• Visual: taking your eyes off the road
• Manual: taking your hands off the wheel
• Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving

Texting while driving is frequently a cause of distracted driving car accidents. Smartphones have made it easy for us to stay connected at all times. But that can pose serious safety risks if someone decides to check his or her text messages, emails, phone calls, or any other mobile applications while driving.

While technology like smartphones, GPS systems and entertainment devices account for most of the distractions drivers face while operating their vehicles today, technology in the form of apps can be useful. In response to distracted driving dangers, cellphone applications have been developed to prevent texting while driving. Smartphone apps that disable texting have been around for a few years, but have gained popularity and sophistication in recent years.

Apps that disable talking or texting when in motion can give parents of teens peace of mind and help those who manage commercial fleets ensure drivers comply with texting laws. These apps have their limitations, however, and do not work on all phones or in all scenarios. While this technology may help parents and commercial truck companies prevent texting while driving, it is not a foolproof solution.

As cell phone use and driving becomes a national problem, the chances of being involved in a car accident with a distracted driver increase. If you or a loved one are injured by the carelessness of another driver, contact Mazin & Associates, PC, Personal Injury Lawyer at (416) 625-2122 for a free consultation.

If you have been injured and have a personal injury case to resolve with the insurance company, your physician has lot to do with the outcome of your case.

Insurance companies frequently portray someone as not truly injured because they never saw their family doctor. So visit your family physician as soon as possible as afterwards this will help secure valuable early evidence. Family physicians are trained in all areas of medicine and can diagnose, provide treatment, write prescriptions and refer you to specialists for further investigation or treatment if necessary. They work with a health team that includes nurses, nurse practitioners, dieticians and pharmacists, ensuring you benefit from the skill sets and perspectives of diverse practitioners who collaborate to give you the best care.

The family physician will undoubtedly play an important role as you work through your treatment and rehabilitation, regularly monitoring your progress and keeping your legal representative up to date with valuable medical reports. The physician will document the type and severity of injury-related symptoms, so regular visits will help compile a more detailed and potentially favorable claim.

Do not let there be a large gaps in treatment. You treatment records are evidence. Any indication that you were not interested in recovering properly, could negatively impact a claim. This means that people should not hold in their injury related problems but rather be open and truthful about them to their doctors.

Your family physician may also serve as a reliable witness on any psychological or emotional effects an injury has had, particularly in cases of longer relationships.

The voted best accident lawyers at Mazin & Associates, PC, Personal Injury Lawyers have helped thousands of clients and have worked with family physicians and medical specialists to compile the most comprehensive and persuasive cases possible.

Young drivers know but ignore the risks of driving and drinking or texting. Oftentimes, because they do not have experience handling or recognizing dangerous situations on the road, young people will fall victim to preventable accidents.

Parents play a key role in guiding our teen drivers by setting our own best example for improving safety while driving. Parents should talk to their teens and make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to safe driving.

Young drivers are more likely to speed, disregard traffic regulations, drive under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, and partake in other risky driving behaviors. Young drivers may cause accidents because of their inexperience, or may be the victims by others because they lack the defensive driving skills.

Driving facts every teen should know:

1. Don’t Speed
2. Don’t Drink and Drive
3. Always wear a seatbelt in the car
4. Don’t Drive at night
5. Don’t Drive Distracted
6. Never Drive under the Influence

If you are in need of a personal injury lawyer to help you through an accident in Ontario, contact Mazin & Associates, PC, personal injury lawyers at (416) 625-2122.

No matter how bold or fearless you might naturally be, nothing has the potential to “shake you up” quite like a car accident can; especially, if it was one where you incurred injuries.

After a car accident, the body needs time to recover through rest and relaxation. There are many common misconceptions related to exercise and work after a car accident. For example, “Can I go to work?” or “Should I start going to the gym?” These types of questions are more suited for doctors rather than lawyers. Make sure that you consult your physician before you begin any exercise regimen outside of the treatment that was already prescribed. S/he will be able to give you a professional opinion on whether your body is ready and how much you need to be starting off with.

The time and extent of the recovery will be determined based on your injuries, both internal and external. If the injuries sustained include bleeding, a doctor will probably tell you not to resume any major exercise or lifting. With non-bleeding injuries a doctor will need to gauge the level of inflammation in the body. Soft tissue injuries and whiplash can get worse after the first 48 hours of a car accident.

Simple tips that can help you to heal following a car crash (but make sure to get your doctor’s advice on all of these points first):

1. Go home and rest
2. Drink at least 6 cups of fluid every day for at least a week after your accident
3. Make an appointment to see your physician immediately
4. Don’t exercise right after a car accident
5. You should start slow walks as soon as you are able to do
6. Don’t stress yourself out

Although the accident may not have been your fault, your recovery is your responsibility. You must take the initiative and follow your doctor’s orders but you should also listen to your body. If you experience any pain, stop the exercise and inform your doctor of what is happening.

At Mazin & Associates, PC, Personal Injury Lawyers can help you find the best medical practitioners for your type of injuries. This will enable you to determine when you can go back to work. Call us at (416) 625-2122 today for a free consultation.