Cowley & Company

Auto Insurance Changes in B.C. Come into Effect April 1, 2019 As most of you may know the Provincial government passed legislation this year to reform auto insurance claims which will come into effect April 1st, 2019. Under the new legislation compensation for drivers injured in motor vehicle accidents will be greatly reduced and capped at a maximum amount of $5,500. Only under special circumstances will greater compensation be eligible for victims. In the meantime, we would ...like to remind our present and past clients that the current rules and regulations will still apply for any motor vehicle accident claims prior to April 1st, 2019. If anyone you know is suffering from pain or injuries because of a car accident and would like to receive a free legal consultation, then please do not hesitate to call our office so we can set up an appointment. If you would like more in depth information about the new changes coming into effect next year, we highly recommend checking out R.O.A.D BC on Facebook or Twitter. You will be able to read and watch informative articles and videos on the new changes and how they will affect future accident claims. Facebook / Twitter: @ROADforBC

Benefits of Massage after a Motor Vehicle Accident It is quite common to experience symptoms and injuries from a car accident days after it initially took place. This is true even for collisions that occurred at a low speed and may have seemed small. That is why you often hear how important it is to see a physician after an accident, even if you think you are OK right afterwards. Whiplash is a very common injury experience by many drivers and symptoms often dont appear unt...il 1-2 days after the accident. Prompt evaluation and proper treatment may help you avoid unnecessary suffering, and possibly prevent an injury from becoming a chronic condition. One common treatment for whiplash and other injuries is massage therapy. Massage therapy can provide the following benefits after an auto accident: Stimulate tissue healing (through improved circulation and decreased swelling) Reduce muscle spasms and associated pain and stiffness Improve scar tissue (by softening stiff tissues to allow blood supply and nutrients back to the affected area) Increase joint flexibility (by stretching the skeletal muscles and tissue over and around your joints) Lower blood pressure Reduce stress and anxiety, including increasing serotonin levels Retrain soft tissue to function properly Release endorphins (pleasure hormones) Depending on your injury, and where you are at in the healing process, your physician may consider Swedish relaxation massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, or manual traction. If you would like a reference to a trusted and reliable massage therapist, please feel free reach out to our office where we will be happy to refer you to one of our many trusted and friendly massage therapist colleagues.

Attention Drivers: School Is Back in Session Precautions and reminders to keep children on roads safe The first week of September brings on cooler weather, a changing of the leaves and most notably, children returning to school. It will become common place to see children walking, running, skipping, biking etc. their way back schools across the Province especially in the first few weeks of September. For many children it will be their first year of attending school and adju...sting to the routine of travelling to school may take awhile for some. Thus, it is highly imperative for drivers to exercise extreme caution and safe driving habits in and around school zones and common school routes. Unfortunately, BC driving statistics show that an average of 51 children are injured as result of motor vehicle accidents in school zones. The biggest and most ticketed offences in these school zones are speeding and distracted driving. As a result, Provincial police will be very mindful and strict when it comes to enforcing safe driving habits in school zones. The start of school is an exciting time for both students and parents. The safety of children is our priority and our officers will be strict when they are enforcing the rules around school zones, said Vancouver police Insp. Loris Zuccato. Below are some driver tips: Always respect school zone speed limits and signs. 30km/h from 8am 5pm, Mon-Fri Playgrounds have 30 km/h speed limits in effect every day from dawn to dusk . When dropping off kids for school, always get them to exit on the sidewalk side of the car. Dont let kids cross midblock. Follow the lead of other drivers if they stop suddenly in a school zone. Watch for school buses and when their lights are flashing, vehicles approaching from both directions must stop. Always look for kids and other pedestrians when starting to drive in a school zone. Avoid unnecessary distractions as children can run suddenly onto roads or driveways.

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The BC government is considering imposing stricter penalties on distracted drivers. Do you agree?

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What is the role of a Chiropractor in Injury Recovery from a Car Accident When you see your family doctor, after a car accident he or she will almost certainly refer you for physiotherapy. Why? It is because physiotherapists work under the supervision of medical doctors and are part of the traditional medical system. Very few medical doctors will prescribe chiropractic because, for one thing, medical doctors learn nothing about chiropractic in their training and, for another ...thing, chiropractors are not part of the traditional medical system in Canada. There is no question that you will need physiotherapy as part of your treatment program if you are to maximize your recovery after a car crash. Physiotherapists are the experts in working with soft tissue injuries, primarily injuries to the muscles. This is especially true when physiotherapy is combined with massage therapy. The two disciplines are complementary in the treatment of the most common injuries we see in car crashes. However, when you are injured in a car crash, there is almost always an injury to your spinal joints, the places where one spinal bone meets another. These injuries are not well treated by physiotherapy or massage. This is where chiropractors shine. Their treatment methods are specifically designed to detect and manage spinal joint problems. If you have used physiotherapy and massage only and you are wondering why you are not recovering as well as you would have hoped, it may be because you have not thought to have chiropractic care. What about your medical doctor if he or she has not specifically prescribed chiropractic care? In B.C., chiropractors are legally doctors although they are not medical doctors. You do not need a prescription from a medical doctor or even permission to see a chiropractor. What about the cost? ICBC has a program whereby ICBC pays the full cost of treatment. If they chiropractor you choose is not on the ICBC program, ask us at Cowley & Company about funding care. Ideally, it would be good for you to see a chiropractor first to have the integrity of your spinal joints assessed and corrected before you begin a course of physiotherapy and massage.

The Truth About No Fault Insurance There is a rumor that ICBC will try to change the system of insurance in B.C. sometime in 2017 to what is called a no fault system. Such systems exist in other Canadian provinces. In our present system, there is a party who is held at fault and a party who is not at fault, i.e. innocent. ICBC has to pay the not at fault driver for their injuries and the insurance rates of the at fault driver may go up so that ICBC can recover the money ...paid out. The present system punishes bad drivers and allows compensation for innocent victims of the bad drivers. In a no fault system, there is nobody held at fault and nobody is compensated. Both drivers, the at fault and the not at fault, have their treatment funded to some extent and may able to claim some of their lost wages. However, there is no other compensation, no matter how badly injured the person may be. A no fault system rewards bad drivers and punishes the innocent victim. ICBC will try to sell this no fault system to the drivers of B.C. as a cheaper system. They will say that your car insurance rates will go down. There is no question that may be true for the first year or so, but after that, the rates will go up again. The fact is that this system only benefits ICBC. With nobody being compensated fully for their injuries, they will make record profits. Since ICBC is a Crown corporation, our lovely provincial government will simply scoop up these profits as they have been doing all along. Everybody can be charmed and fooled by the lure of cheaper rates and everything is good until they or someone they are close to is injured in an accident and is faced with the realities of the no fault insurance racket. By the way, if this terrible system does get put into place, it wont affect any existing ICBC claims you have, only potential future claims down the road. The bottom line is that we would be foolish to support ICBC and the provincial government on this latest scam. When ICBC and the government go into propaganda mode later this year, spending hundreds of thousands of your money in radio, TV and print ad campaigns to try to convince you of the virtues of the no fault system, dont be fooled. A leopard doesnt change its spots.

Why Should People Injured in Car Accidents Seek Legal Advice? Not everybody injured in a car accident needs to hire a lawyer. An individual who is very sophisticated, has a straight forward case and has very minor injuries may be able to manage his or her case without a lawyer. However, it is common sense that every person injured in a car accident needs to have legal advice in order to sort out his or her legal rights and obligations. There is a quicksand pit waiting for the... uninformed car accident victim. - Am I required to give ICBC a statement? - How detailed does the statement need to be? - If I say the wrong thing, will it come back to haunt me? - What documents am I required to sign? - What medical records, if any, is ICBC entitled to? - What does ICBC do with my medical records? - Am I obligated to see an ICBC doctor? Is the doctor seeing me for medical reasons or to assist ICBC in defeating my claim? - Who pays for my treatment? - How do I get paid for time off work? Asking the ICBC adjustor's advice on these issues is like asking your ex- spouse's lawyer for advice in a divorce case. We strongly suggest that every person involved in a car accident, regardless of the circumstances, meet with a personal injury lawyer for an initial consultation, At Cowley and Company, legal advice consultations are free with no obligation and no hassle. If you have a friend or patient who has been injured in a car accident, do him or her a huge favour and insist that they have a legal consultation so that they can learn their rights and responsibilities.

Angela's Story I am a client of Cowley & Company. Mr. Cowley has asked me to write my story because he thinks it may help some of you out there to know that you are not alone. My name is Angela. I am a stay at home mom to two toddlers. My husband works long hours and our deal is that it is my responsibility to take care of the kids and the house which means grocery shopping, house cleaning and yard work. Believe me, I am not complaining. I know that I have a great deal.... Two years ago, I was rear ended. There wasnt much damage to the car. I had a lot of back pain but I wasnt worried. Everybody the doctor, the chiropractor, my husband, the ICBC adjustor said that I would get better soon. Weeks turned into months and two years have passed and my low back is still a huge problem. The doctor calls it chronic pain. I call it the Black Plague. I have given up on treatment a year ago. I tried everything, including chiropractic care, physiotherapy, massage and acupuncture. I usually felt better after the treatment but it didnt last. What do I do now for my back? I max out on over the counter Advil and Extra Strength Tylenol, every day nothing from the doctor. I know what its doing to my guts but I have no choice. I do a 15-minute back stretching routine based on yoga that Kevin, the active rehab guy at IRC taught me. I do it at least three times a day, more on bad days I do the physical work I have to do in small chunks of time throughout my day- I absolutely avoid heavy lifting and avoid stuff that I know will make the pain worse. I dont scrub the kitchen floors by hand like I used to do. I do not pick up my kids. I have my husband clean the bathroom tub. My life is OK. I manage. But I am lucky. My husband is amazing and gets it. I know not all of you are so lucky. But when I think of what the ICBC adjustor said when I told her the pain wasnt going away, I want to hit something. This is before I hired Cowley & Company. The adjustor actually said that my injuries were only soft tissue, that everybody gets better from soft tissue, that it was all in my head and that, if I settled my ICBC claim, my back would be fine. What a load of B.S.! It makes me mad just thinking about it. I dont know how these ICBC adjustors sleep at night. I hope my story has provided some inspiration as you go through your own healing process. Good luck and God bless and know youre not alone. Angela

FREE Public Education Seminar - Part 7 "no fault" benefits Cowley & Company will be hosting a free public education seminar on December 6th from 7-8 pm at our Surrey office. This seminar will focus on Part 7 no fault benefits that anyone who has been involved in a car accident is eligible for. DID YOU KNOW:... You are entitled to accident benefits regardless of who is at fault? That these accident benefits include medical, rehab and wage replacement payments? That ICBC must act in your best interest? ICBC may deny you the benefits that you are entitled to? JOIN US ON DECEMBER 6TH TO LEARN ABOUT: What youre entitled to under Part 7 accident benefits What your obligations are for receiving these benefits How to apply for these benefits Cases where ICBC denied coverage and what claimants lawyers did about them If you are interested in attending please contact Brian at 604.583.3000 or [email protected] When: Tuesday, December 6th, 2017 from 7-8pm Where: #300 13805 104th Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 1W7

Your Charter of Rights and Freedoms Most countries, including Canada, have some version of a Charter of Rights that spells out what you, as a citizen, can expect from your Government. Well, we think that there should be something similar for people who, through no fault of their own, are injured in a car accident and have made the smart move of hiring Cowley & Company. There should be a Charter that spells out what you can expect from your us....Continue reading

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Why Do I Need to Go to Therapy if My Injuries are Only Soft Tissue? This is probably the No. 1 question that people ask us. First of all, soft tissue injuries can be devastating. They can result in chronic pain which is unrelenting long term neck and back pain which never goes away. You do not want to have your soft tissue injuries morph into chronic pain. That is the chief reason why you need extensive therapy if you have neck or back pain after a car accident.... People have many excuses for not attending therapy or quitting prematurely. Some of these reasons are perfectly reasonable, such as: (a) I cant get time off work to attend therapy and the therapist I go to does not have evening or weekend appointments (b) I dont have the money to pay for treatments If you are in this situation, let us know and we can: (a) Refer you to a clinic that has evening and weekend appointments available (b) Arrange for funding of your treatments Other excuses for not following the planned treatment programme are not so legitimate such as: (a) I havent got time or I have to wait too long in the waiting room (b) I dont feel much better after the treatment, or if I do feel better, it is short lived We realize that your time is valuable. However, if you are genuinely injured, you will put in whatever time is necessary to deal with your injuries. If you are telling us that you havent got time for treatment, we will be thinking that you are not really injured or not injured as much as you say. As far as results, it is not a situation that a single treatment or series of treatments will cure you or take all of your pain away. It is a gradual process, bit by bit. You may even have more pain after a single treatment. However, if you stick with it for the entire treatment programme, you are much more likely to recover completely. There is also a more practical reason to stay with your treatment programme until you are better. ICBC is looking for you to mess up so that they can argue that you are faking or exaggerating your claim. When you dont go for therapy or quit prematurely or miss multiple appointments, it plays right into ICBCs hands. If you dont have a chiropractor, physiotherapist, massage therapist and kinesiologist, ask us and we will find you a clinic that is convenient and does good work. If funding is a problem, we will solve it. Your part is to show up for your appointments on time and stick with the treatment programme until you are completely better.

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ICBC is Calling You a Cheater What do you think of ICBCs new campaign which they have been promoting on the radio and on TV as well as in newspapers? They would have you believe that: (a) Most people involved in car accidents have no pain or injuries... (b) Many of those who claim pain or injuries are faking or exaggerating their claims ICBCs figure of 20% fraudulent claims includes all those claims where ICBC has alleged fraud but have not even come close to proving it. The vast majority of ICBCs so called fraud investigations amount to absolutely nothing. It is frankly a waste of ratepayers money. Oh, but there is fraud in the ICBC system but it is much more likely that it is caused by ICBC adjustors and managers than by injured folks. Fraud is when adjustors tell you that you have no claim because it was your fault or because your car didnt sustain much damage. Fraud is when ICBC adjustors refuse to fund your therapy or cut off your funding prematurely. Fraud is when ICBC adjustors put surveillance on you to harass and intimidate you. It is unbelievable that ICBC has the right to use the money that you pay in insurance premiums to fight you every step in the way and to misinform the public in expensive media campaigns rather than using that money to better fund treatment or to lower your premiums. Fight back tell everyone you know that this new media campaign is just more of the same nonsense that we have heard from ICBC time and time again. Its a case of blame the victim as opposed to trying to help people injured by careless drivers.

Please Join Cowley & Company at our free Maximizing Your ICBC Claim Seminar! Car accident clients have two motivations in mind when they hire us to assist them in their ICBC claim: 1. They want to maximize their medical recovery 2. They want to maximize their financial compensation from ICBC ... Cowley & Companys new seminar program addresses both of these issues. The law firm has been conducting these seminars on a monthly basis since October 2014, and they have been very well received by clients. If you have not yet attended, please join us on January 21st at 7pm-8pm at our Surrey office, for an evening of information to help further your ICBC claim. Youre welcome to bring a spouse, family member, or a friend with you four ears are better than two. The seminars are free and refreshments are served. If interested please send us a private message or send an email to Sunday at [email protected] to confirm your attendance. We would really appreciate an RSVP within 24 hours of the event as we do sometimes cancel if we dont have enough attendees. We look forward to seeing you at a future Maximizing Your ICBC Claim Seminar!

The Real Story behind ICBCs Bid for Yet another Rate Increase ICBC is once again knocking on the door of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) asking for a rate increase. This year, its 5.5%. ICBC is telling the PUC and the public that the reason for the rate increase request is the rise in the number and value of injury claims in B.C. What they are not telling you is the REAL REASON. A look at the Statements and schedules of Financial Information for 2014 reveals the ri...diculously high wages paid to the doctors that ICBC uses to do the medical reports that ICBC relies on at trial. Lets take Dr. Alexander Levin as an example. He gave sworn evidence in Court recently that he works 15-20 hours a week doing ICBC work. ICBCs own financial documents reveal that ICBC paid him $952,000 for these 15 to 20 hours a week of work in 2014. And that was a $100,000 increase (12%) over what ICBC paid this same doctor in 2013. Apparently, ICBC is not bothered by the fact that Dr. Levins opinion has been disqualified by a Judge of the Supreme Court on two separate occasions. And, by no means, is Dr. Levin the only doctor who is being paid by ICBC in this manner. Almost a million dollars a year for a part time job for ICBC doctors! And ICBC has the nerve to ask for a rate increase and to blame it on claims made by people injured in B.C. in car accidents through no fault of their own. Maybe ICBC needs to get their own house in order first before asking the drivers of B.C. to reach into their wallets. This is the same insurance company that tells injured people to trust the ICBC adjustors and that they dont need a lawyer to represent them. Dont you believe it - if you know somebody or have a patient who has been injured in a car accident, encourage him or her to talk to a lawyer. Consultations at Cowley & Company are always free and with no obligation.

Dear Clients and Friends, As 2015 winds down, my tenure as the managing partner and a full time lawyer at Cowley & Company is also coming to an end. I am semi-retiring as of the end of this year to spend more time with my family. My partners, Wai Cheung and Steve Ballard, two very capable lawyers, will be taking over as joint managing partners. Steve will be working at our main office in Surrey and Wai will continue to work out of our Burnaby office. After fifteen years as a ...full time chiropractor and twenty years as a full time lawyer, I thought it might be time to become a full time house husband and a full time dad to my 16 year old son Trent and 15 year old daughter Theresa. I will remain with the firm as a trial consultant and I will maintain my role with our marketing and promotion department. Looking back over the last two decades, I have fond memories of the thousands of clients we have assisted and I am very proud that the little law firm I founded with a loan from my dad fifteen years ago when the banks wouldnt give me the time of day has grown to become one of the biggest car accident law firms in B.C. You will find that nothing will change at Cowley & Company with my semi-retirement. It will be business as usual with all of the same policies and procedures that have been in place for many years. Best wishes to all of you, Lee

Trial Tip - Truth and Consequences The fact is that very few ICBC cases end up in Court. The vast majority settle without trial. However, when they do go before a Judge, it is important to know what will enhance and what will detract from the value of your claim. Some of you oldies (like me) will remember the television show in the 50s and 60s called Truth and Consequences. The real life version plays itself every day in our courtrooms. Trials in personal injury cases are a...ll about the truth or lack of the truth. The job of the ICBC lawyers at trial is to expose any untrue statements made by the injured person. The consequences, if the Judge believes the ICBC lawyer, are that the injured person may get much less compensation for his or her injuries than what he or she deserves. Some people at trial truly forget about some small injury or pain that occurred before the accident. If that happens, it is usually fine. However, other people try to hide previous injuries or other facts, thinking that they wont get caught. The problem is, if it comes out at trial, it makes the job of the ICBC lawyer to convince the Court that you should not get much money much easier. What is the solution? Be completely honest. Tell us everything. Our job is to figure out how to best present it for the Court. Dont take the chance that the ICBC lawyer will paint you as a less than honest person. See more

In Praise of Judges: Judges get a bad rap. In every decision a Judge makes, there is a winner and a whiner (sorry, I mean loser). Winners smile contentedly. Losers make a lot of noise. It is never a badly run trial or poorly performing witnesses or just bad facts. It is easier to lay a loss on the Judge he or she is a bad Judge, a prejudiced Judge, a dumb Judge and/or a Judge who has no business sitting as a Judge. So, the trial Judge takes it on the chin. There is no doubt... that there are Judges who have been appointed for the wrong reasons, usually political, in that they supported the right party at the right time. And there are Judges, thankfully few, who abuse their lofty positions to justify their high opinions of themselves. But, by and large, most of the Judges that I have encountered over the years have been hard working, bright, very patient and honestly trying to do the best job possible under often difficult situations. When a Judge gets a decision wrong, and it happens, I truly believe it is as a result of error as opposed to any agenda. I have often wondered why men and women choose to become Judges. Many take a cut in pay when they go to the Bench. They may lose some of their best lawyer friends because lawyers and Judges dont always mix well. For some, it is a desire for recognition from their peers, a trophy of sorts. For others, its a true calling, a desire to serve the public in a very important role. Some individuals simply are looking for a change. For most judges, I am sure that it is a combination of these factors and more. So, the next time you hear a Judge criticized, keep in mind that it is one of the more difficult jobs around. Maybe we should cut these good men and women a break.

TOP 10 QUESTIONS FROM CLIENTS: Over the past two decades, many things have changed with respect to how ICBC car accident claims are handled. One thing that has remained consistent is the questions raised by you, our clients. So, for the benefit of all, here are the top ten questions that our clients have asked us over the years and our responses. Question 1 How long does it take for my claim to be settled?...Continue reading

Tales from the Courtroom Trenches: Patience - A Bitter Seed When it comes to litigation and settling files, a client's patience can be tried. After all, in many cases the settlement negotiations do not take place until several years after the subject accident. In the interim, the client will have gone through a barrage of medical examinations, having been poked and prodded by treating doctors, therapists, treating specialists, defense specialists, plaintiff's specialists, etc.... The client will also likely have gone through an examination for discovery and no doubt will have harbored thoughts of When will all this be over and done with? There is no question that going through the litigation process can be exhausting and tedious for the client. It is for this reason that we are often faced with clients demanding to have their matters wrapped up and shut down. However, whereas being patient through the process may be a bitter seed, its tree can in most cases, bear much sweeter fruit. The following case example involved a client with multiple car accidents. Trial had been scheduled to begin approximately three years after the initial accident. Approximately two years before the scheduled trial date, I.C.B.C. came out with a formal offer to settle. While not overly impressive, the client was actually considering taking the offer. After some discussion (and some arm twisting) the client was talked down, and the litigation process proceeded. Six months later, I.C.B.C. issued another formal offer, this time substantially more than the first offer. The client was now strongly considering the offer and again, was talked down (with some more minor arm twisting). Another month passed and expert reports were exchanged. Within one month of the scheduled trial date, I.C.B.C. had come back with a further offer which was ultimately accepted. However, this last offer was twice as much as I.C.B.C.'s first offer. While this is not going to happen in every case, it is a testament to the fact that sometimes waiting things out can work out in your favour.

What is the Number one Treatment Error that Car Accident Patients Make? The biggest error is the frequency of treatment. Most car accident patients have too little treatment in the first six months after the accident and too much treatment in the period of time after the six month mark. The leading clinical research emphasizes the need for very frequent treatment in the first six months following an accident tapering off to an "as needed" basis after six to eight months. The... following protocol followed by a leading Surrey multidisciplinary clinic has proven very effective: ( a ) a passive programme of chiropractic and massage care of two to three times a week for the first three months, followed by ( b ) a progressively more active integrated physiotherapy and kinesiology programme of two to three times a week for the next three months followed by ( c ) a self directed gym or home based programme of stretching and strengthening exercises with the patient's choice of passive care for management of pain flare ups I am a big believer in regular monthly chiropractic maintenance care and note that this practice has been endorsed by a group of medical doctors in a recent study in Spine, the leading muscluloskeletal journal in the world. This is true not just of car accident patients but for everybody with a spine. So, if you want to get better faster and give yourself the best chance to avoid chronic pain: ( a ) be prepared to have very frequent treatment over the first six months, in the order of two to three times weekly ( b ) taper off your treatments so that, at the six to eight month post-accident mark, you are managing your symptoms with your own self administered exercise programme

Trick or Treat and its not even Halloween Youve no doubt seen the ICBC ads on TV and heard them on the radio. ICBC is spending millions of dollars in trying to win the hearts and minds of car accident victims. What are the treats they are handing out?: -if you dont hire a lawyer, we will pay your full wages and even do a direct deposit into your bank account ... -if you dont hire a lawyer, we will pay the full costs of your treatment What are they trying to achieve? The percentage of people in B.C. who hire lawyers to assist them with their ICBC claims has been steadily climbing over the past five years. This ad campaign is designed to try to reverse the trend, to try to convince people that ICBC are the good guys and that people with ICBC claims dont need lawyers. This is the same ICBC that has been caught red handed many times over the years doing things that nobody would consider proper. ICBC employees caught writing off cars, then buying them back and selling them for a profit. ICBC managers bringing their personal cars in for free paint jobs in ICBC approved shops. ICBC managers and adjustors getting so called bonuses for settling files short of their actual value. ICBC employees using their computers to illegally obtain information about potential jurors to allow them to unfairly and illegally influence them. Using investigators to intimidate members of vulnerable groups such as young people and new Canadians. These are just some of the scandals that have come to light. How many other schemes are out there of which the public is not even aware? But what is the trick? Why is ICBC trying so hard to keep people away from lawyers? You would think that ICBC would want people to have the information that they need to make intelligent and informed decisions. But keeping car accident victims away from the information is exactly the point of ICBCs efforts. Information is power and he who controls the information wields the power. The trick is simple - convince people that they dont need lawyers, put a slant on the information they receive and ultimately settle files for pennies on the dollar. And where is all this money coming from for these massive ICBC trick and treat ad campaigns? You guessed it. From you and me and everybody else who pays car insurance in B.C. Thats quite the trick, dont you think? ICBC is using your money to fool you into playing their game. Do your family members, friends and co-workers a big favour by telling them all about ICBCs early Halloween trick and treat campaign. At the very least, every person injured in a car accident in B.C. should consult with a lawyer to learn his or her rights and responsibilities. At Cowley & Company, consultations are free of charge.

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A Tragic Story: Dont Let This Happen to Anybody You Know! The following is a true story. It is even more tragic by virtue of the fact that it is true. I have altered no facts. I have put no spin on the story. It is exactly the way it went down. Those of you who may have more sensitive psyches may want to read the rest of this article with one eye closed. A Mr. X (name concealed to protect the unfortunate) came into my office last week, referred by his medical specialist. Mr.... X had been in a car accident six months earlier. It had been a huge crash. Mr. X sustained neck pain and he was having numbness into the fingers of his right hand. He was off work completely. Four months after the accident, Mr. X was no better. His family doctor, Dr. Quack (name concealed to protect the incompetent) refused to order an MRI, refused to refer him to a specialist and advised Mr. X to return to work and to take whatever I.C.B.C. gives you in compensation. Mr. X took his doctor's advice. He called I.C.B.C. and settled the claim for a small amount and then signed off on his claim. He then attempted to return to work and only lasted two days before he was off work again. He decided to see another doctor for a second opinion. This other doctor immediately ordered an emergency MRI and they found a large disc herniation in his neck that was causing the numbness in his fingers. He is now scheduled for spinal surgery. He will never be able to return to his job. He will have to re-train. Mr. X's I.C.B.C. claim was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars but he is out of luck. Because of his first doctor's advice. He settled his claim for peanuts and the claim is now finished. Dead. Gone. No doubt that I.C.B.C. is having a party now at Mr. X's expense with the I.C.B.C. adjustor who sealed the deal enjoying a nice fat bonus cheque. Don't let this happen to somebody you know. EVERY person involved in a car accident needs to get legal advice immediately. At Cowley & Company, we offer free, no obligation legal advice sessions for car accident victims.

Chiropractic or Physiotherapy: Which is Better for Car Accident Injuries? As many of you know, I am an ex-chiropractor. I practiced as a Doctor of Chiropractic for 15 years from 1978 to 1993. Even though I have been out of chiropractic practice for 21 years now, the profession is still very close to my heart. So my instinctual response to the question is chiropractic, of course. But such a gut reaction is unfair to the thousands of very professional and competent men and w...omen in this province who work as physiotherapists. It is a fact that chiropractors and physiotherapists have similar education, training and qualifications, and practice in a similar manner. Let's take a few minutes to go over the similarities and differences. Chiropractors have three or more years of university study before they enter the four year Doctorate programme in chiropractic offered by only one school in Canada (the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto). There are dozens of chiropractic universities in the U.S. So chiropractors have a doctorate level training with seven years of university level schooling. Physiotherapists require a Master's degree which is a two year programme that follows a four year university programme in the health sciences. So, physiotherapists have at least six years of university level education and training. As a comparison, registered massage therapists take a 20 month programme after the completion of high school. Kinesiologists have completed a four year university programme. All chiropractors and most physiotherapists are qualified to practice what is called manual medicine which consists of manipulation of the joints of the body, primarily the spinal joints. All physiotherapists and most chiropractors make use of modalities to affect healing including heat, muscle stimulators, ultrasound and laser. So the primary difference between the two professions is that the main tool of chiropractors is spinal manipulation while the main toolbox of physiotherapists is the arsenal of physical modalities. The fairest statement is that a car accident patient needs both chiropractic and physiotherapy, not necessarily at the same time. Massage therapy is an essential adjunct to both chiropractic and physiotherapy. Kinesiology provides the active rehabilitation component that completes the healing programme.

Do's and Don'ts for Car Accident Victims: http://cowleylaw.ca/home/information/dos-donts/

Be informed - Common Misconceptions about the ICBC process: http://cowleylaw.ca/home/information/common-misconceptions/