We are so pleased to welcome Corey R. LeBlanc to our growing team of professionals at Iacobelli Law Firm. Corey joins as a lawyer-candidate articling with the firm.
Corey was raised in the Village of Norwood, Ontario, and holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Economics (B.A. Honours) from Trent University, where he graduated with distinction on the President's List, and made the Dean’s Honour Roll every year of his degree. Corey earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Osgoode Hall Law School - one of the top-ranked law schools in the world. During his law studies, Corey distinguished himself from his peers with his significant extracurricular involvement and leadership. Notably, Corey served as the Managing Editor of Osgoode Hall Law School’s student newspaper - the longest running law school newspaper in North America - Obiter Dicta. Likewise, Corey was elected to serve as the Vice President (Finance) of Osgoode Hall Law School’s chapter of the Runnymede Society, and Corey was also selected by Osgoode Hall’s student association to serve on behalf of his peers on Osgoode Hall’s faculty hiring committee. Additionally, during his time in law school, Corey graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School’s taxation law program, with a specialized focus on international taxation. This provides Corey a uniquely intimate understanding and knowledge of inter-jurisdictional legal matters. During his time in the taxation law program, Corey co-founded Osgoode Hall Law School’s taxation law website and blog, with Professor’s J. Scott Wilkie, and Jinyan Li. In his spare time, Corey enjoys reading history, following politics, cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Toronto Blue Jays, playing competitive e-sports, and spending time with his family, and his wonderfully active and loving Siamese cat, Persia. Our clients will benefit from Corey's efforts as he assists injury victims in matters involving serious motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, wrongful death claims, municipal liability, insurance disputes, nursing home negligence, and other complex accident claims.
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Toronto Slip and Fall Injury - Lawyer Discusses Your Rights Following Slip and Fall on Ice12/22/2021 Now that winter weather has arrived in Ontario, property owners must act reasonably to remove ice and snow from their premises. If left untreated, snow will often become packed down by traffic and become icy and slippery. When property owners fail to maintain their premises, they can be held liable if somebody is injured as a result of a slip and fall accident on ice or snow. The consequences of a slip and fall accident can be significant. Although some people only experience bumps or bruises from a slip and fall, there are slip and fall accidents that result in serious, and sometimes, life-threatening injuries. Common injuries include fractures to ankles, wrists, elbows, shoulders and spine. Head injuries, including concussions and other traumatic brain injuries, can occur with a sudden and hard fall from a slip and fall accident. In some cases, a slip and fall accident can result in death. It is the responsibility of every homeowner, commercial property owner, and municipality to take steps to remove snow and ice from their property.
Time is Not on Your Side Following a Slip and Fall Injury Because conditions change quickly, there are strict notice requirements following a slip and fall accident caused by ice or snow. In Ontario, an injured person must give notice to the property owner in order to preserve their right to advance a claim. These notice periods are short. Where the fall occurs on municipal property, the notice must be provided within as little as 10 days. For slip and fall accidents that occur on private property, the notice must be provided within 60 days after the occurrence of the injury. The notice must be delivered by personal service or certified mail and must include the date, time and location of the slip and fall accident. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident because of ice or snow, you should consult a lawyer immediately. Even if unsure whether you want to commence a claim, you should ask a personal injury lawyer to provide the notice so that your rights are preserved. Our law firm offers free consultations to those injured in a slip and fall accident. If it is a case that we can assist with, we will usually be able to provide notice and preserve your rights. This will allow you to take the time to recover from your injuries without the worry of having lost your right to pursue a claim should you later decide to go forward. Free Consultation with Ontario Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer If you or a loved one has been seriously injured as a result of a slip and fall accident, contact Iacobelli Law Firm to speak with a Ontario personal injury lawyer. We offer free consultations to prospective clients and No Win - No Fee retainers. Andrew Iacobelli is an experienced personal injury lawyer who established Iacobelli Law Firm with offices located in Ontario, Canada and Florida, U.S.A. Andrew restricts his practice to the representation of personal injury victims in claims involving serious injuries and wrongful death in Canada and the United States. Andrew is a Lifetime Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, having achieved settlements or awards of One Million Dollars or more for his clients. Andrew is the author of "Are You a Canadian Injured in the United States? Claim the Damages and Insurance Coverage the Right Way". After nearly two years with little travel, many Canadians have resumed travel to the south this winter and holiday season. Many Ontario residents will travel to Florida, particularly to the areas of Orlando, or along the east or west coast of Florida. Every season many Canadians find themselves the victim of car, motorcycle or pedestrian accidents while visiting Florida. The experience of any accident is difficult, but a crash far away from home can bring added stress. We can help if you are a Canadian injured in Florida. Lawyer Andrew Iacobelli has offices both in Ontario and Florida and is licensed to practice law in both jurisdictions. We are regularly consulted by Canadian and US lawyers for assistance with cross-border accident cases. We can help you and your family navigate the issues and claims on both sides of the border. Many Ontario residents do not realize that they will probably have claims both in Canada and in the United States. If you have questions about a cross-border accident case, do not delay - call us immediately for a Free Consultation. There is no obligation and no costs to speak with an experienced cross-border accident lawyer. Call us 24/7 at 1866-234-6093 or request a free consultation online. Andrew Iacobelli is an experienced personal injury lawyer who established Iacobelli Law Firm with offices located in Ontario, Canada and Florida, U.S.A. Andrew restricts his practice to the representation of personal injury victims in claims involving serious injuries and wrongful death in Canada and the United States. Andrew is the author of "Are You a Canadian Injured in the United States? Claim the Damages and Insurance Coverage the Right Way". As I reflect upon this past year, I am so very grateful for the opportunity to lead such a great team of compassionate, dedicated and highly-skilled individuals, and I am once again, truly proud of our accomplishments. I am equally appreciative that our work and mission will continue into the New Year and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my staff who make this possible every day. We have had some new additions to our staff this year, including paralegal, Alyssa Smith, law clerk, Celeste Hui, and lawyer candidate, Corey LeBlanc. We were also pleased to welcome back to our team, associate lawyer, Lauren Blanchet. These additions to our team, make us a much more capable and efficient law firm for our clients. Our Personal Injury Lawyers continued to fight hard for our clients by attending multiple video conferences every week including Examinations for Discovery, Mediations as well as Court Hearings, and we are so grateful that we were able to advance claims on behalf of our clients with no interruptions to our service. Our top priority is you and we are honored to serve our community. Travelling this Holiday Season We understand how difficult it is for our clients to recover from an unexpected accident and I am always truly amazed how adaptable, resilient and courageous our clients are. We are so thankful to our clients for putting their trust in our Personal Injury Law Firm and as we think of each of our clients this holiday season, we are extending our best wishes to you and your loved ones for a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Now that many people have resumed travelling south of the border, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you how important it is to be aware of your rights and coverage in case you are involved in an unexpected crash while visiting the USA. My book, “Are you a Canadian Injured in the United States?” which was published last year and available for purchase on amazon, continues to be a highly informative read that provides guidance and assistance if you or your loved one has been involved in an automobile collision while travelling across the USA-Canada Border. Please feel free to reach out to our office to obtain your free copy. Are you on Instagram? So are we! We encourage you to follow Iacobelli Law Firm (@iacobelli_law) to keep up to date with Iacobelli Law Firm and to follow our Sunday Safety Tips. We also encourage you to follow us on facebook at Iacobelli Law Firm | Facebook. Our Personal Injury Lawyers Are Available Throughout the Holiday Season We understand that accidents can happen at any given time even over the holidays. Don’t wait until after the holidays to call our Team. Our Personal Injury Lawyers are available 24/7 throughout the holidays to support you because we know how important it is to be available to our community. On behalf of Iacobelli Law Firm, we wish you a safe holiday season filled with joy and we look forward to supporting our community in 2022. Iacobelli Law Firm realizes how difficult and life-changing it can be for your family when you are involved in an unexpected accident. We are a dedicated Ontario Personal Injury Law Firm that provides compassionate and competent legal counsel for the injured throughout Ontario and we offer a FREE Consultation so please feel free to call us at 1-866- 234-6093. We are available to take your call 24/7 and are honored to serve our clients and our community. Andrew Iacobelli is an experienced personal injury lawyer who established Iacobelli Law Firm with offices located in Ontario, Canada as well as offices in Florida, U.S.A. Andrew restricts his practice to the representation of personal injury victims in claims involving serious injuries and wrongful death. Iacobelli Law Firm is pleased to announce that personal injury lawyer, Lauren Blanchet, is returning to our team. Lauren is an experienced litigator and she assists our clients that have been injured in motor vehicle accidents, premises accidents, and other injury accidents. Lauren also represents families with wrongful death claims. Lauren always strives to obtain adequate and just compensation for the clients that she represents. For a free consultation with Lauren Blanchet or with another member of our injury law team, please call us 24/7 at 1-866-234-6093 or complete our online contact form here to schedule your consultation. As the province lifts capacity limits on October 25th in a majority of settings including restaurants, indoor sports facilities and gyms, casinos, bingo halls and indoor meeting and event spaces, our Team at Iacobelli Law Firm so pleased to be able to move forward.
As our Personal Injury Lawyers continue to connect with our clients and welcome new clients, we are pleased to announce that we have returned to scheduling client’s meetings both in our office and outside of the office. At Iacobelli Law Firm, we are well adjusted with our technology to be able to work virtually and our Firm continues to value the health and safety of both its employees and our community. Pleased to Continue to Offer Virtual Meetings Our Personal Injury Lawyers have also witnessed the benefits of scheduling virtual meetings as well as phone calls with our clients over the last year and a half. Virtual meetings allow our clients to remain in a comfortable atmosphere as they recover and at the same time, attend to important deadlines with their claim. We are thrilled to announce that virtual phone calls and meetings will continue to be offered in the future. If you would like to visit our office for a meeting, we encourage you to call us first at 416- 900-1070 to arrange for a convenient time to meet. Upon arrival at Iacobelli Law Firm, we would kindly ask:
We look forward to seeing you whether in person or virtually, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead such a great team of compassionate, dedicated and highly-skilled individuals and although it may have been challenging at times, our Team always persevered and continued to run a successful law firm. Our Personal Injury Lawyers understand how important it is to be available to our community at all times and Iacobelli Law Firm realizes how difficult and life-changing it can be for your family when you are involved in an unexpected accident. We are a dedicated Ontario Personal Injury Law Firm that provides compassionate and competent legal counsel for the injured throughout Ontario and we offer a FREE Consultation so please feel free to call us at 1-866-234-6093. We are available to take your call 24/7 and are honored to serve our clients and our community. Andrew Iacobelli is an experienced personal injury lawyer who established Iacobelli Law Firm with offices located in Ontario, Canada and Florida, U.S.A. Andrew restricts his practice to the representation of personal injury victims in claims involving serious injuries and wrongful death in Canada and the United States. Andrew is the author of "Are You a Canadian Injured in the United States? Claim the Damages and Insurance Coverage the Right Way". Recent Ontario Court Decision Finds Lack of Jurisdiction for Ontario Resident Injured in Michigan10/22/2021 A recent court decision in Ontario reinforces the complexity in cross-border accident cases involving Ontario residents injured in the United States. In the case of Orum v. Maksuta, 2021 ONSC 2974, an Ontario resident was seriously injured while in Michigan attending a charitable International Dragon Boat Race. While in Michigan, the Ontario resident was walking in a crosswalk, on a green light, and was struck by a motor vehicle, owned and operated by a resident of Michigan. Allegedly, the Ontario resident sustained a traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident.
The Michigan vehicle and driver that caused the accident had $100,000 of insurance coverage, which was considered insufficient insurance to fully compensate for the injuries. The Ontario resident retained a lawyer in Ontario. A lawsuit was commenced in Ontario court for both the underinsured motorist claim and the claim against the at-fault Michigan resident. While it is completely appropriate to sue the resident of Michigan in Ontario court. There are well established rules of conflict of laws and jurisdiction that must be carefully considered whenever a claim involves parties or events that span across state, provincial or national borders. In this particular case, the injured Ontario resident sought to obtain jurisdiction in Ontario against a Michigan resident with absolutely no connection to Ontario, and for a tort that did not occur in Ontario. Of course, there are occasions where lawyers try to obtain jurisdiction if there are distinguishing factors upon which to make an argument, or where a defendant consents. In this case, however, the Ontario resident should have also initiated a claim in Michigan to preserve his rights in the event that the jurisdictional argument failed in Ontario. Unfortunately for the injured Ontario resident in this case, the court correctly sided with Michigan resident and found that jurisdiction was lacking. Because the Michigan Statute of limitations (time limit to commence a lawsuit) had also expired, the injured Ontario resident had no recourse against the at-fault Michigan driver. As such, the Ontario driver could not sue for or collect the $100,000 insurance limits available on behalf of the at-fault Michigan driver. Even if successful on the underinsured motorist claim, the Ontario resident lost out on $100,000 USD value of his case, as this would be deductible by the Ontario insurance policy. All in all, this was a very poor result for the injured Ontario resident, albeit a predictable outcome and a correct decision by the Ontario court. In addition to the jurisdiction issues raised by this case, there are many other issues including first-party no fault benefits that must be considered and addressed in cross-border accident cases. As this case illustrates, cross-border accident cases involving Ontario residents injured in the USA are complex. We handle many cross border accident cases every year, both with Ontario residents injured in the United States and with Americans injured while visiting Ontario. We are experienced and knowledgeable in this area of law, probably handling more of these cases than any other firm in Ontario. We have offices and active practices on both sides of the border, and over the years we have built a strong network of colleagues in the United States. Our firm is regularly consulted by lawyers in Canada and the United States for assistance when they have a cross-border accident case. If you or a loved one was injured in a cross-border accident case, call us to see if we can assist. Consultations are always free, and if we cannot help we may be able to direct you to an appropriate lawyer in the jurisdiction where your accident occurred. Andrew Iacobelli is an experienced personal injury lawyer who established Iacobelli Law Firm with offices located in Ontario, Canada and Florida, U.S.A. Andrew restricts his practice to the representation of personal injury victims in claims involving serious injuries and wrongful death in Canada and the United States. Andrew is the author of "Are You a Canadian Injured in the United States? Claim the Damages and Insurance Coverage the Right Way". As travel restrictions ease up for Canadians travelling to the United States, it is expected that many Canadians will be heading south this winter. Florida remains a popular destination for Ontario residents, and every winter we are called on by individuals and other attorneys for advice regarding the right's of Ontario residents injured in car accidents while travelling in the United States. For our firm, the majority of these cases, involve Ontario residents that are involved a car crash while in sunny Florida. Here are some important things you should know if you are injured due to a crash in the United States: 1. Your Ontario auto insurance provides coverage for your injuries. Many people think that only their vehicle property damage is covered by their Ontario policy. Actually, you have coverage for your injuries as well. Ontario Accident Benefits provide coverage for things such as medical and rehabilitation expenses. The coverage will depend on the nature and severity of injuries. 2. You will be asked to elect between Ontario first party benefits and those that are available in the jurisdiction where the crash occurred. Choose wisely, as the election is final. Get the advice of a lawyer that handles cross-border accidents to help you make an informed decision. Insurance adjusters are usually not helpful - they often want you to elect the lesser of the benefits so that they save money. Don't make the choice until you have talked to a lawyer. 3. If you are not at fault, you will most likely be entitled to bring an additional claim against the at-fault party for injuries you suffered as a result of the car crash. This claim is almost always covered by insurance. 4. Many US vehicles have insufficient insurance to pay the bodily injury claim. As such, you may need to consider an Ontario underinsured or uninsured motorist claim. A cross-border litigation lawyer can assist you in making this determination. 5. The law that applies to your injury claim for an accident in the United States, and the insurance that responds, is almost always a blend between Ontario and US law. 6. Our law firm has offices in Ontario and the United States and we are experts in cross-border motor vehicle accident cases. We are regularly called upon by attorneys in Canada and the United States to assist with these kinds of cases. We are available 24/7 - so call us anytime to request a Free Consultation. We hope that you have a great time travelling between Ontario and the United States, and that you never need our services. If, however, you find yourself or a loved one in need of advice regarding a US accident, we are here for you. Call us anytime, or complete our online form to request a free consultation. We can be reached at 1-866-234-6093. Andrew Iacobelli is an experienced personal injury lawyer who established Iacobelli Law Firm with offices located in Ontario, Canada and Florida, U.S.A. Andrew restricts his practice to the representation of personal injury victims in claims involving serious injuries and wrongful death in Canada and the United States. Andrew is the author of "Are You a Canadian Injured in the United States? Claim the Damages and Insurance Coverage the Right Way". Colton Leung represents injury victims in matters involving serious motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, municipal liability, insurance disputes, long term disability denials, nursing home negligence, dog bites, and other complex accident claims. Colton has represented numerous clients before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the License Appeal Tribunal (LAT) and is fluent in both English and Cantonese. Recently, we had a chance to ask Colton a few questions about becoming a lawyer as we think it’s important that you get to know our Team. Why did you choose to become a lawyer? Was it always a passion of yours and why did you choose personal injury law? I first had an interest in becoming a lawyer when I first started taking law classes in Grade 11 and Grade 12. Like many high school students, I did not know what I wanted to be or do when I grew up. Following my undergraduate degree, I worked in a boutique personal injury law firm in Toronto first as an office-services clerk, before being promoted to a legal assistant/law clerk position within a few months. One of the lawyers I assisted at the time indicated that I had a knack for the law, which prompted me to look into becoming a lawyer. I have always wanted to live abroad in a different country and this was an excellent opportunity for me to take on that challenge! I have had experience with many different areas of law, including family law and criminal law, but I have always enjoyed personal injury the most. I enjoy the interactions and relationships I build with clients, adjusters, and other lawyers. When attending law school, what did you find the most challenging and how did you overcome it? As I am a very high achiever, I found it challenging to juggle between the sheer amount of school work and studying required in law school, while maintaining a well-balanced and healthy social life. I overcame this by following a set schedule that I had and allocating a set time for my classes, readings, and my own social activities and interactions. I would wake up at 6 AM every morning to go to the gym before attending my classes in the morning. After classes, I would always review all the materials that I have learned on that day and review my notes. I would also do my readings and would finish around 4PM. I would then have my own free time before returning to the library at 9PM to do some additional studying until 11PM. On the weekends, I would also allocate time to study during the afternoon and evenings to stay current on my studies. What year were you awarded with Upper Second Class Honors from Bond University - can you explain to us what that means? Has this been your most memorable achievement so far? I was awarded a Juris Doctor degree with Upper Second Class Honors in 2016. This designation is reserved for students who obtain an A average throughout their studies in Law and are in the top 10th percentile of their class. Obtaining my Law degree and finishing my postgraduate degree has been one of my memorable achievements so far. I would have to say getting called to the Ontario Bar is my most memorable achievement I have in terms of my academic and professional achievement to date. Back in 2020, you were elected by your peers to serve on the Board of Directors for the York Region Law Association. What is your favorite thing about serving on the Board and what do you hope to gain? My favorite thing to serve on the Board of Directors for the York Region Law Association has been meeting many incredible lawyers and sharing our thoughts, insights, and experiences into our professional careers. I hope to gain experience in leadership in order for me to help and guide other lawyers who are new to the profession in their legal career. How long have you worked at Iacobelli Law Firm as a Personal Injury Lawyer and what attracted you to our firm? I have been working at Iacobelli Law Firm since 2018. I have seen Andrew Iacobelli’s advertisements around York Region and when I did some research into the firm, it was exactly what I had hoped for, a personal injury firm that is dedicated to helping others that require legal representation during one of their most traumatic experiences in life. If you were to tell us one thing that you like about Iacobelli Law firm, what would it be and why? The close-knit culture between all its employees has definitely attracted me to Iacobelli Law Firm. This is very important to me as I spend a lot of time with my colleagues and peers. Having a very good working relationship with everyone in the Iacobelli team is one of the most important things I pride myself in. This also helps us to better serve our clients as a team. What do you hope to accomplish professionally in the next five years? In the next five years, I hope to continue to grow with Iacobelli Law Firm and to take on more responsibilities, including leadership and management roles. I also hope to broaden and expand the firm’s practice areas so that we can expand our clientele base and to help more individuals with their legal issues. What does Colton like to do in his free time and how does this allow you to de-plug from being a lawyer? Anyone that knows me would know that I am a huge foodie. I love trying and dining at new restaurants. As I grow older, I also enjoy spending more time with family and friends, and participating in experiences together that I can create lifelong memories. I am also an avid traveler as it allows me to put a brief pause with my work and enables me to reset to take on more challenging demands and tasks. Iacobelli Law Firm is honored that Colton Leung chose to work with us. We are truly grateful for his continued hard work, and loyalty to our clients, colleagues and peers. Our Personal Injury Lawyers understand how important it is to be available to our community at all times and Iacobelli Law Firm realizes how difficult and life-changing it can be for your family when you are involved in an unexpected accident. We are a dedicated Ontario Personal Injury Law Firm that provides compassionate and competent legal counsel for the injured throughout Ontario and we offer a FREE Consultation so please feel free to call us at 1-866-234-6093. We are available to take your call 24/7 and are honored to serve our clients and our community. We regularly represent Canadian (Ontario residents) injured in car accidents occurring in the United States. These claims require a law firm with the ability to navigate the complex insurance coverage and liability issues that arise on both sides of the border. As a licensed lawyer in Ontario and in the United States, and with law firm practices both in Canada and in the United States, we are able to identify the issues and guide clients according to their unique circumstances. One issue that often comes up is whether the Ontario threshold and deductible are applicable in the context of a Ontario underinsured or uninsured motorist claim when the accident occurred in the United States. If you do not know what the threshold and deductible are, you can learn more about them in other blog entries. For the time being, I will only comment that these provisions of Ontario law are unfair and put the interests of insurance company profits above the rights of Ontario residents injured in motor vehicle accidents. These provisions of our law seek to reduce or extinguish meritorious claims for injuries for car accidents so that insurance companies can save money. Legislation similar to the threshold and deductible, as they exits in Ontario law, are extremely uncommon outside of Ontario. In my experience, there is no US state law that is anywhere near as discriminating to the rights of the injured as the Ontario threshold and deductible. As such, Canadians injured in the United States will enjoy some of the rights and remedies available to accident victims in the state where the crash occurred.
Many lawyers in Ontario make the assumption that the Ontario threshold and deductible apply to underinsured claims against the Ontario auto insurance policy. For some they base this on the language within the 44R endorsement, which provides that quantum of damages is to be assessed under Ontario law. That section states: 10. In determining the amount that an eligible claimant is entitled to recover from the inadequately insured motorist, issues of quantum shall be decided in accordance with the law of Ontario, and issues of liability shall be decided in accordance with the law of the place where the accident occurred. Although the threshold and deductible certainly have an impact on the injured party's ability to recover money (damages), the position fails to recognize that at their core the threshold and deductible deal with issues of liability. In fact, they protect a certain class of defendants from liability. It is well established that the issues of liability are governed by the law where the accident occurred (lex loci delicti). In Chomos v. Economical Mutual Insurance Co [Chomos], Cronk J.A. concluded that ss. 267.1 and 267.2 of the Insurance Act, which are the threshold and deductible provisions in Ontario, are directed to issues of “liability” and not issues of “quantum” within the meaning of s. 10 of the OPCF 44. As a result, Cronk J.A. concluded that the provisions of quantum and deductible do not govern this action. The case of Chomos was subsequently affirmed in Kampers v. Acevedo[“Kampers”] by Garson J., who stated that “the language in Chomos is clear: accidents that take place outside of Ontario are not subject to the limiting provisions of the Insurance Act regarding threshold deductibles on pain and suffering and collateral benefits." If you are an Ontario resident injured in the United States, we can help. Even if you already have a lawyer in the United States, we invite you to call us for advice on the Ontario aspects of your insurance claim. We regularly work with lawyers throughout the United States to ensure that cross-border accident vtictims receive full compensation on both sides of the border. To get help immediately, call us 24 hours per day 7 days per week and speak with an experienced Canada - USA cross border accident lawyer. Lawyer Andrew A. Iacobelli is the author of "Are You a Canadian Injured in the United States? Claim the Damages and Insurance Coverage the Right Way. Learn more by calling us toll free at 1-866-234-6093 or requesting a free consultation using our online contact form. |
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