Car crashes are among some of the biggest dangers to babies. All babies need a rear-facing car seat for their first ride home from the hospital.

Your baby will use this seat whenever you travel– even the shortest distance– for one year or longer. While babies may use a forward-facing car seat once they are at least one year old and at least 10 kg, it is safest for them to rear-face as long as possible.

Follow these car seat safety tips:

• Look for a car seat with the highest rear-facing weight and length limits once your child has outgrown their first car seat.
• Always install the car seat in the rear seat—the middle position is the safest.
• Read the manufacturer’s instructions for the car seat and follow all age, height and weight specifications.
• Secure the car seat using the Universal Anchorage System (UAS or LATCH), which is now mandatory in all car models. Follow both the car seat and car manual instructions. If the UAS system does not secure the seat adequately, then use the seat belt, as indicated in the car seat instructions.
• Check that the car seat does not move more than 2.5 cm (1 inch) forward or from side to side once it is installed.
• Harness straps should be threaded just at or below your baby’s shoulders. The chest clip should be at armpit level and the harness should fit snugly.
• Tuck a blanket around your baby if needed instead of using a bunting bag.
• Don’t use a car seat that has been in a car crash, even a minor one. It is not safe.
• Never leave your baby unattended in a car, even to run a quick errand.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a car accident, consult a Personal Injury Lawyer.

Source: Canadian Pediatric Society.

This weekend marks the first long weekend of the Spring/Summer season, which means many of us will be hitting the highways to spend time with family and friends. It also means that there will be an increased police presence on Ontario’s highways targeting speeding and dangerous drivers.

If you see those flashing red lights in your rear-view window while traveling this weekend, here are some things you should and shouldn’t do when pulled over:

• DO show the officer that you acknowledge them by turning on your 4-way flashers and pull over to a safe area as soon as possible.
• DO remember that because of the long drive, you may be feeling stressed and tired. Check yourself and make sure that you keep as calm and friendly as possible when speaking with the officer who has pulled you over.
• DO remember that police are looking out for your safety and working to help prevent car accidents that could cause serious injury or death.
• DO roll your window down after pulling over and wait for the officer to approach your car and if it’s dark outside, turn the above head light on to illuminate the front cabin of the car (they’re probably going to shine a flashlight in there anyways).
• DO NOT make moves until the officer has instructed you to do so. You may think that getting all of your information ready is a good thing, but the officer has no idea what you may or may not have in your car. Sudden movements or unrequested behaviour could be cause for concern of an officer approaching a vehicle. Being proactive will not help you in this situation.
• DO remember that more than likely, you were stopped for either a routine spot check or for speeding. If you plan on fighting any ticket, make sure to not say anything that would indicate an admission of guilt and definitely don’t inform the officer that you are going to fight the ticket as they will make sure that their notes are in tip-top shape, making a defense more difficult.
• DO get back on the road. Once everything has been handled and you can get back on your way, put any paperwork or belonging back where they were taken from, turn-on your signal, and merge safely back into traffic.

Hopefully these tips will help you survive the trip and ease any stress about the heightened police presence on the roads during this long weekend and the ones to come. Safe driving!

If you or someone you know has an auto related injury, schedule your free consultation with our best accident lawyers. You pay no fees until your case is won or settled.

It’s never easy when a loved one (especially a spouse) is diagnosed with a critical illness. Here are some strategies and tips to help you and your spouse support one another through such a difficult time.

Take a deep breath. The most important thing you can do is be there for your spouse and remain calm. Don’t panic, panicking can cause emotional paralysis and further distress an ill individual. Take a breath, step back and figure out how you’re going to tackle the problem as a couple.

Study up. Help your partner become an informed patient by reading all you can about the disease, treatment options and typical progression so you have an idea what to expect and can make the best care decisions. Many disorders have national and local Internet sites that can assist with finding information and support for patients and caregivers.

Attend doctors’ visits together. The best way to assist a critically ill spouse is to be actively involved in the care, which can mean attending all doctors’ visits, tests and follow-ups together. This way, you can be sure that you both covered all questions that you want answered.

Be involved in decision-making. After asking the doctor all of your questions, deciding on a course of action should not just be a decision between your spouse and the doctor. It’s important to make joint care decisions because you, too, are impacted. Be sure to discuss all the pros and cons of any treatment and what side effects to expect, as you’ll have to deal with them as well.

Know what to expect. If your spouse undergoes major surgery or another complex treatment, the transition home from the hospital is critical. Before you leave the hospital, speak to the doctor and get a written set of instructions on how you can best help at home. Have them tell you what the expectation is and what kind of things should you be expecting when your partner gets home? Also find out about any side effects or complications that you should be on the lookout for? Catching these things early can make all the difference.

Care for yourself. Many caregivers neglect to take care of themselves. Even while dealing with the stress of being a caregiver, you need to take time for yourself to eat right, exercise and sleep. If the stress starts to overwhelm you, consider joining a support group.

Know your limits. Don’t expect to do everything. Your spouse may need treatments or other care that you’re unable to provide – and that’s OK. If you’re supposed to be doing personal care, such as bathing, dressing, feeding or medical tasks like wound care, and you realize that you don’t know how, this is a sign you’re in over your head. If you’re faced with tasks you can’t complete, consider hiring a trained caregivier. Many times your insurance will even help cover it.

Even the most comprehensive critical illness insurance policies may contain restrictions, complex terms and stringent procedures. It’s not always simple to understand and claim your allowable benefit. We can help, contact our critical illness lawyer to schedule a consultation.

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.

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.

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.

During the winter season, the days are shorter and the nights are longer. This means that many people commuting home from work do so only after the sun has set. Driving at night can be a challenge for all drivers.

Here are some tips to help you become a safe nighttime driver:

• Look out for pedestrians everywhere, at all times. Safety is a shared responsibility.
• Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as at nighttime or in bad weather.
• Slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or approaching a crosswalk.
• Yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and stop far enough back from the crosswalk to give other vehicles an opportunity to stop safely as well.
• Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. There may be pedestrians crossing that you can’t see.
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
• Follow the speed limit, especially in areas where there are people on the street.
• Follow slower speed limits in school zones and in neighborhoods where there are children present.
• Be extra cautious when backing up your vehicle – pedestrians can suddenly move into your path.
• Check all intersections carefully, watching for pedestrians.
• Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. This allows for extra time and space if you need to suddenly react to a situation.
• Don’t drive if you are feeling drowsy.
• Focus on the road. Always leave your phone or any other hand-held electronic device alone while you’re driving.

Walking is a healthy way to get around, but unfortunately, pedestrian injuries are all too common. Poor  weather conditions, reckless driving, and unsafe road conditions can all lead to accidents that  injure pedestrians.

Mazin & Associates, PC, Personal Injury Lawyers handles personal injury claims ranging from car accidents, to slips and falls, and brain injury claims.  To arrange a free consultation with one of our car accident lawyers, call (416) 625-2122 or visit our website.

From car accident cases to slip and falls, you may have suffered an injury as a result of someone else’s negligence. Many people are reluctant to hire a lawyer for injuries that appear relatively minor in nature. In many circumstances, this could be a big mistake and you may lose valuable compensation.

Injury lawyers may assist you with your physical, psychological and financial recovery following an accident. Here are a few reasons why you might consider hiring a lawyer for seemingly minor injuries.

Your Injuries may Worsen:

What appears to at least initially be a minor injury may with time reveal a more serious or even permanent impairment. Furthermore, many injuries may not be immediately visible. You may feel additional or new symptoms, both physical and psychological, weeks or even months after the accident. As a result you may incur additional medical or rehabilitation expenses beyond what you initially anticipated. This is one of the most important reasons to talk to a personal injury lawyer as s/he will advise you to wait until you know the full extent of your injuries. This can also help you to determine the right time to accept a settlement offer for your claim.

Negotiating with Insurance Companies:

Another common reason why people do not hire a personal injury lawyer is because they believe that their insurance company is there to help them. But insurance companies are interested in minimizing payouts so that they can maximize their profit margins. It is important to understand that insurance companies, like many other corporations, respond to business incentives and in the case of a personal injury claim, these incentives are at odds with what the interest of the claimant or plaintiff. For this reason, it is critical that you retain a personal injury lawyer so that you can obtain fair compensation for your losses. It is important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer representing your best interests, who can negotiate strongly with insurance companies on your behalf.

Some people may not hire a lawyer for fear of paying large legal fees. But at Mazin & Associates, PC, Personal Injury Lawyers, we work on a contingency-fee basis. This means that you will not pay for any legal fees unless you win your case. To arrange a free consultation, call (416) 625-2122 or visit our website.