Our New Business As Usual – How Covid-19 Is Impacting Your Personal Injury Case

Whether you’re a new or existing client, the lawyers and support staff at Lancaster Chown & Welch LLP continue to be available to receive and manage your new or existing claims.

DUE TO COVID-19, OUR LAWYERS ARE REMOTE, BUT OUR OFFICE IS BUSINESS AS USUAL

Everyone at Lancaster Chown & Welch LLP is doing his or her part to help minimize risk. All of our lawyers are working from home. Our office space remains open, but we are operating with a small number of staff, and have restricted face to face meetings to only those absolutely necessary. Our lawyers continue to be available by telephone by calling our office number as usual — we have implemented technology that allows our office calls to be transferred to our home offices. Because we are working with a reduced number of support staff, you may not reach the clerk you are accustomed to speaking with. You will, however, be put in touch with your lawyer directly. All of the tasks our lawyers and support staff regularly perform in the office to manage your case continue to be done remotely.

COVID-19 MAY HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON HOW WE MANAGE YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CASE

You may have heard in the news that Ontario courts have closed temporarily. This doesn’t mean that your personal injury case cannot be accepted by us, or that your case stops moving along or cannot be resolved. Many of the steps we take in your personal injury case do not involve the courts, and this is especially true in the beginning stages. We very often work with adjusters of insurance companies to assess and attempt resolution of your personal injury case, and this does not require access to the courts. Many of these adjusters are working from home now, or were working remotely already, and are available for business as usual. For steps in your personal injury action that do require access to the courts, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice remains open to manage many of them. The Court currently remains available to receive legal documents required to move your action along or conclude it following settlement. If your case is at the stage where you had received notice from your lawyer that your presence is required at an upcoming Examination for Discovery, it may be the case that these proceedings are either re-scheduled for a date in the near future or can go-ahead as planned by way of remote technology. We remain available to answer any questions you have specific to your case.

HOW COVID-19 MAY AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO ACCESS TREATMENT

If you are receiving physiotherapy, massage therapy, psychological counselling, or regular chiropractic care, it is possible that your treatment may be temporarily unavailable. Some physiotherapy treatment centers and psychologist offices, committed to your health and wellbeing, are offering treatment online or by other alternative means. While there may some temporary interruptions in your ability to receive treatment, or some rescheduled legal proceedings or medical appointments, for the most part, your personal injury claim will continue to move along as usual. All of us at Lancaster Chown & Welch LLP remain available to serve your personal injury needs, and we hope you take the opportunity, in this temporarily changed environment, for deeper healing along your path to full recovery and optimal well being.