Monthly Peer Review Luncheon – SCI Ontario

Lerners has been a long and steady supporter of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario. One of the SCI Ontario initiatives that I personally find very informative is the monthly peer review luncheon held at Parkwood Hospital, where individuals who have recently suffered a spinal cord injury get the benefit of meeting and hearing from those who have lived with a spinal cord injury for many years.

The guidance, advice, and tips that can be passed on are invaluable and, as a lawyer working with those who have suffered from spinal cord injuries, I always learn something myself when I attend these luncheons, that I am able to pass along to my clients.

I am very proud of the fact that Lerners is the luncheon sponsor for these peer group meetings and, while I usually attend as a representative of our firm, I recently had the privilege of being asked to speak to the group about the various issues surrounding compensation or funding of needs following a spinal cord injury.

I prepared a PowerPoint presentation “Spinal Cord Injuries_ How to Fund Your Care and Understand the Legal Labyrinth“.

I tried to discuss the primary funding and compensation areas in which I get involved, which would be:

1. Motor vehicle accidents;
2. Occupiers’ liability claims;
3. The various other non-motor vehicle accident claims;
4. Workplace accidents; and
5. Collateral benefits that are available, both public and private.

It is overwhelming for anyone who has suffered a critical injury to have to grapple with the extraordinary expenses associated with funding daily needs. The reality is that there is never enough money to restore a person, but, that being said, there are often several ways to approach the funding issue, which I was happy to highlight during my own talk.

SCI Ontario remains a fantastic resource for the population of individuals who have suffered a spinal cord injury, as it provides peer support and shares its extensive knowledge base. In SCI Ontario’s own words, its “vision is to champion excellence in service, advocacy, and quality of life for people living with spinal cord injuries” and its mission is to “assist people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities to achieve independence, self-reliance, and full community participation”.

If you are reading this blog as someone living with a spinal cord injury or as a family member caring for someone with a spinal cord injury, and you have not encountered SCI Ontario, I strongly encourage you to take a look at the website found at www.sciontario.org.