Vancouver is a beautiful place to live, and a thriving city of more than 600,000 people tucked into the gorgeous natural world of British Columbia. There’s so much going on and so much to do, but there are also undeniable dangers.

Take our roads, for instance. Vancouver is ranked as Canada’s worst city to drive in, and the surrounding suburban and rural areas include treacherous, winding roads and less-trafficked highways over dangerous mountain passes. There’s a lot that you can do to minimize your risk of being involved in a car accident, but there’s nothing that you can do to completely eliminate that risk. You simply cannot control what other drivers do, so you should know how to handle an accident.

Other drivers are a danger to you

No driver is perfect. But some drivers are much more dangerous than others, and the consequences of their actions can be extremely serious. Canada has more than its fair share of reckless drivers and bad decision-makers, and no wealthy country has more drunk driving deaths.

Canadians also drive more kilometers on average than citizens of many other countries. That’s no doubt due to Canada’s large size, relatively spread-out population, and car-based infrastructure systems. But more time on the roads leads to more opportunities for accidents, no matter how you slice it. The bottom line is this: the risk of car accidents can be limited, but not eliminated. And when a negligent or reckless driver affects you, you could be unjustly harmed.

The unjust consequences of a car accident

It would be nice if we could ensure that we’d never suffer without cause. But that’s not what life is like, unfortunately. And if you are involved in a motor vehicle accident with one of Canada’s many reckless and negligent drivers, the consequences may be severe.

You could be injured and taken to a hospital, for instance. The healthcare system will cover some of your expenses, but bills for things like prescription drugs can still mount fast. And your injuries can cost you in other ways, too: you could miss work and therefore lose wages, or you could even end up losing your job — or your whole career — entirely. Meanwhile, your quality of life could suffer and you could be in serious pain.

None of this is fair. It’s bad enough to suffer injuries and financial damage, but more frustrating still when those damages are the direct result of some other driver’s negligence. Fortunately, you do have ways to fight back.

Getting a lawyer and fighting for your rights

If you are injured in an accident that was no fault of your own, you need to reach out to a Vancouver personal injury lawyer right away. Under this country’s tort laws, you could have a case for a personal injury lawsuit. An attorney could file suit on your behalf against the party or parties who were responsible for your injury, and a settlement or court award could make you whole again by paying off your medical debt and compensating you for lost wages and other damages.

Only a trained and certified attorney who is familiar with your situation can tell you if you have a case or not. Time is of the essence, so make the call and schedule a consultation. With your account of the incident and with the right evidence, including medical bills, police reports, and other related documents, an attorney can lay out your options and start you on the path to protecting your rights and recovering what is yours.