Getting the Message Out

As personal injury lawyers one of the things we must do is try to reach the people who need our help. Marketing and advertising is a fine balance as here in Ontario we try to avoid the marketing hype that everyone is familiar with in the United States. One of the new advertising methods we at QTMG LLP are now using is bike rack advertising as we like to think this advertising also supports a healthy living lifestyle of riding one's bike to work etc.. In this photo we have Marc Quinn, partner at QTMG LLP, beside one of our newly installed bike racks in Ottawa, Ontario.

Ottawa Traffic Maps

The city of Ottawa provides some interesting live and interactive information in relation to traffic within the City. Through it's website at Ottawa Maps you can find live map based information relating to construction events, incidents, red-light cameras, traffic video, and much other information. Watching live traffic, getting updates, is easily accessible from any computer or smartphone. At Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers, we make use of the information provided through this site in building and collecting evidence in support of our clients' cases. The amount of information that is available is impressive. The only trick is to know where to look.

How do I present my case?

As experienced counsel, the lawyers at Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers Ottawa, are able to analyze and look at a particular set of facts and fairly quickly determine the strengths and weaknesses of a particular case. After such a long time of doing this work, the analysis is internalized, even automatic, and this initial impression of a case becomes the starting point for collecting evidence and building the details through self reports, medical reports, expert reports, witness accounts, and various records including financial documentation, receipts, tax returns and the like.The process for how a case is successfully built is sometimes glossed over in conversations with clients. Many clients simply want a win and a successful resolution of their claim and frankly are not interested in the mechanics of how the win is achieved. Hence, it was with pleasure that this writer recently met with a new client who indeed asked about all of the nuts and bolts of putting together a winning case. Meeting with this client got the writer to thinking about how important it is for clients to ask this question of their prospective lawyers. Any lawyer that you may be meeting for the first time should be able to confidently explain to you the legal process, in broad terms, within a few minutes. That lawyer should be able to respond to any question you have with confidence. Beyond outlining the legal process, the lawyer should also be able to explain how he or she plans to present your case so that you have the very best chance of succeeding. The manner of presentation, and deciding what will be presented, starts well before the trial.Determining how the case will be presented starts on the very first day of hiring the lawyer. From the notice letter to the person who caused the injury, to soliciting and obtaining reports, medical records, police reports, hiring an investigator, obtaining witness statements, expert reports and analysis, engaging case managers, and communicating with insurers and adjusters, all of these things factor immediately into the presentation of the case. How your case is presented, from the very first moment, will reflect the strength of your case, your determination to win, your preparation and willingness to commit financial resources to win. Weakness in any aspect of presentation will be picked up upon by insurances adjusters, insurance defence lawyers, mediators and Judges. And where weakness is detected there will be a push for you to compromise the value of your claim and quite frankly for you to take less than you would otherwise be entitled to.At QTMG LLP we are aware of the critical importance of presentation--from the very outset of any case. We believe that it is because of this awareness and our ability to explain it, draw a road map, and demonstrate the necessity of detailed preparation to our clients that we are so successful in our cases. It was a good experience again to have a client actually ask about the nuts and bolts of proving a case as the process of explaining it gave the client great comfort and it reinforced for this writer how a client who understands the purpose of the work is better able to contribute to the success of the case.

Street Art: Rideau Street in Ottawa

As any Ottawa resident who travels Bank Street through the Glebe and Preston Street in Little Italy knows, the rebuilt street and sidewalks after crush of construction bring with it the installation of public art along the street. Certainly the example of the street art installations along the two mentioned streets is quite interesting and intriguing to look at though this writer prefers the statues along Preston Street to the sculptures on Bank that are fairly high above the street on poles. For public art, at street level, the work is fairly bold and inescapably will be in front of the users of the street on a regular basis. So, if you're the type of person who enjoys public art and you are a regular user of Rideau Street, Ottawa, you may wish to consider attended the Ottawa Public Library at 377 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, on September 5, 2012 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to meet four shortlisted artists for the new public art that will be installed on Rideau Street. You will have an opportunity through this process to have your say about what you will see along Rideau Street for the years to come. At Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers Ottawa, we take an interest in the street-scape as it can not be forgotten that the primary purpose of roads is still to provide a route for vehicles of all kinds. And while public art is nice, that art should not impact on the free flow of people nor distract drivers of all vehicles from safely traversing the road.

Mental Health Issues in the Workplace

Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers Ottawa, are well aware of the stresses in the workplace. Stress is necessarily endured by employees who are int he workplace to earn a living, support their families, and pay their bills. With an economy that apparently begs for efficiency, belt tightening and cuts, employers, government, and corporations are demanding more commitment from fewer employees. Employees who are "lucky" enough to survive cuts are left in a workplace that looks very different. Query the harm suffered as a result of pressure cooker workplaces--workplaces that fundamentally are unhealthy. Employers and employees, ultimately recognize that an unhealthy workplace is harmful to employees as well as to the organization. No one benefits when employees are working in an environment that is not psychologically healthy. A workplace that is psychologically healthy will provide an environment where the employee is engaged and will support worker health and well-being, recruitment and retention, productivity, effective risk management and corporate social responsibility. If you are aware of a workplace that is not "healthy" with respect to mental health, and you think there might be a receptiveness to changing the work environment, consider accessing the national program available from the Canadian Mental Health Association known as Mental Health Works. Employers benefit from the Mental Health Works program as the program helps foster a psychologically healthy and inclusive work environment. Workers, and all persons in the workplace, benefit from the insight provided through the program. At QTMG LLP we strive to maintain a work environment that is flexible, recognizes the real life issues of our assistants, paralegals, and support staff. Recognizing and accommodating the needs of our team members has allowed us to grow a very long standing and loyal group of employees. As a result of striving to maintain a healthy work environment not only have the lawyers, partners, and employees benefited, but so have our many clients who turn to us for help with their serious personal injury matters. If you think that your workplace could use some help, perhaps consider getting some help from the CMHA.

Ottawa--Digging into the past!

Transit in Ottawa holds a particular fascination for the lawyers at Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers Ottawa. As personal injury lawyers, we spend a significant amount of time looking at transit related accidents--from bus accidents, car accidents, motorcycle, trains and planes. The coming of Ottawa Light Rail Transit will inevitably cause injury to some people and when that happens the lawyers at Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP will be there to help the victims recover the compensation they deserve. In the mean time, the path to light rail transit in Ottawa is turning up some interesting things from the past. Items are being discovered in the archeological investigation at LeBreton Flats. The City of Ottawa is presenting these items to the public beginning on August 21, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. in the Festival Plaza at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave. West, Ottawa. The City will have the lead resident archeologist from Golder Associates Ltd. on hand to showcase the various artifacts as well as to show present and historic pictures and maps of the excavated area at Lebreton Flats. It should be an interesting morning and we hope to be there as well.

Harzardous Waste--Be Safe

At Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers Ottawa, we are frequently contacted by people whose children have been inadvertently exposed to hazardous materials. This most often happens in homes where there have not been any small children for a good number of years. These homes tend not to be "child proofed". So what exactly are hazardous materials? Hazardous materials include Aerosol containers, propane cylinders, disinfectants, fluorescent bulbs/tubes, fire extinguishers, fertilizers and pesticides, mercury switches/thermometers, needles and syringes, pharmaceuticals, paints and coatings oven and window cleaners, pool chemicals, and batteries. As you can see from this list, hazardous materials are, for the most part, fairly common household items. That being said, if you have a shelf that looks like this photo, and you have no need for these items any longer, you may wish to consider taking these items to a hazardous waste disposal depot. On Saturday August 25, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Tunney's Pasture parking lot at 150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway between Goldenrod Drive and Sorrel Drive, the City of Ottawa is holding a mobile Household Hazardous Waste Depot. At QTMG LLP we would like to encourage everyone with unused hazardous household materials to bring them to a depot for safe and environmentally friendly disposal. Not only will this remove some clutter, but it will also make your home a safer place for small children.

QTMG PROFILES: Mikolaj Grodzki

Perhaps you have stumbled across this article because you are looking for a lawyer. Specifically a personal injury lawyer. If so, we are pleased to introduce you to Mikolaj Grodzki, a partner at the law firm of Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers Ottawa. Mr. Grodzki is first and foremost a compassionate man with a keen sense of justice. Having worked in the insurance defence industry he has well developed understanding of the challenges faced by injury victims and how the insurance industry can sometimes stand in the way of Justice for those injury victims. Mr. Grodzki now only works for injury victims and he largely confines his practice to motor-vehicle accident / car accident / motorcycle accident law. Why a confined practice? The fact is that insurance law in Ontario, as it relates to car accidents / motor-vehicle accidents is increasingly complex. To be highly effective and successful in helping injury victims it is Mr. Grodzki's opinion that you can not dabble in many different areas of law without losing the specialized knowledge that comes from extensive experience. That kind of experience is what every injury victim should have working for them. Asked about how an injury victim should hire a lawyer, Mr. Grodzki said that " the key is to meet me, let us talk about what happened, let me explain how I can help, and let me tell you how I am working for you." At the end of that meeting, "ask yourself if you trust me, did I answer your questions, and do you believe me". When you can answer those questions affirmatively you know you've found your lawyer. Mr. Grodzki has a flexible work schedule with extended hours. His three young children keep him and his wife busy at their home in Orleans, Ontario. Mr. Grodzki will often make house-calls and hospital visits to clients all over eastern Ontario. Sometimes it just isn't possible for a client to travel to his his downtown Ottawa office. Mr. Grodzki's Polish heritage allows him to speak with his clients in Polish though all legal work is necessarily completed in English or French. If you or someone you know needs a personal injury lawyer, consider giving Mr. Grodzki a call. He would be pleased to hear from you.