Cross-border personal injury claims can be difficult to navigate

During the month of October, stakeholders in road safety in British Columbia are running the “Be Truck Aware” campaign. While their focus may be on local drivers, the reality is that many visitors from south of the border are exposed to similar hazards while they travel on Canada’s roads. If they are involved in accidents that lead to lawsuits, they may find cross-border personal injury claims to be challenging affairs.

The aim of the campaign is to teach drivers of passenger vehicles how to share the roads of the province with commercial trucks. Records show that many more crashes occur that involve cars only. Also, a significant number of accidents between cars and commercial trucks are caused by the drivers of the cars rather than the truck operators. However, when big rigs are involved, the chances of fatalities increase.

A commercial truck driver reports that some of the dangerous driving he notices every day typically includes competitive driving. Car operators sometimes want to beat trucks by cutting them off at intersections, or they want to be the first at the red lights. Furthermore, some make unsafe left-hand turns rather than exhibiting a bit of patience and waiting for the trucks to pass first. Dangerous circumstances arise when drivers of cars forget that large trucks need extra space for turning and stopping.

When tourists or business travellers from the United States suffer injuries in vehicle accidents in British Columbia, they may find the challenges of dealing with cross-border personal injury claims overwhelming. The process might be less complicated with the support and guidance of a lawyer who is registered in both countries. Such a lawyer would be experienced in dealing with the civil laws in both jurisdictions and the insurance companies on both sides of the border.

Source: CBC News British Columbia, “B.C. urges drivers to Be More Truck aware in new safety campaign“, Clare Hennig, Oct. 18, 2017