Just came on board today folks, i did some search on whiplash in the archives but with respect to my case here we go
Well, to make the long story short, i was rear-ended yesterday and so far this is what I have done
1. Written down all info of the guy who rear-ended me as well as that of another witness
2. Contacted my insurance company about all the details and they say they will contact the other guy's insurance company and will send out a benefits form for me to fill out
3. Went to see my doctor today and he told me I got whiplash on the neck (it didn't feel hurt after the collision but it's been getting more and more painful now) and *lumber strength* on my lower back, basically it's quite sore
4. Went to the police station after the accident intending to file a report but the cop looked at the damage on my car and he estimated it to be less than $1K so they won't get involved (he estimated it to be around $800)
I intend to do the following tomorrow or ASAP
1. Go to get an X-ray on my neck (from my doctor's recommendation) and go to the police station to file a personal injury report (with all of the doc's notes) to get more solid proof
2. Bring the car into the insurance's preferred shop to get a good estimate on the damage
My questions for you folks would be
1. Should i take some time off work now so that I can build a more solid case with respect to compensation for pain and suffering ? The thing is this is the first time that i've ever been involved in any type of accident so I don't know how long it would take to get the compensation, if at all, and i may not be receving my regular work paycheques for a while if I take some time off
2. Should I hire a lawyer for this scenario and if so how much you think I may have to pay ? I mean like if the legal fees are more than the compensation then...
3. Is there anything else that I should do from this point on ? I know the car will be fixed in terms of the physical damage but what i'm more concerned about is my own physical pain
4. I guess i have to tread lightly with the insurance company too, maybe they will offer me some $$ but how do I know it's what i'm entitled to or not ? I've heard the cap on personal injury for insurance-related matters is $4K in Ontario, is that true ?
Thanks folks in advance, it's not something we expect to happen but it did and now i'm just trying to piece together info and whatnot