Your neighbour gives you a friendly wave as you walk out your door. You smell the savoury scents of the bakery on the corner as you make your way to a main street. Exchanging nods with a shopkeeper on the way to the subway, you do a time check on your phone. You try your best not to bump into all of the other people out and about heading to and from work, window shopping, or making their way to see friends and loved ones.
You probably don't know most of the people you pass, but you feel connected to them in some way. They are a part of your community. They live, work and play on the same streets as you do. They observe the same familiar sights, hear the same familiar sounds and feel the same energy that is unique to every neighbourhood.
Everything can change in a moment.
When tragedy strikes close to home as it did on a stretch of Yonge Street in North Toronto on April 23, 2018, that sense of community binds us even more closely together. We may not know any of the 10 people killed, the 16 people injured, or their many loved ones, but we have walked on the same streets. We feel their loss as our community's own loss.
The outpouring of sympathy in the wake of the Toronto Van Attack shows that communities are often at their very best at times when we are confronted by the very worst. From the impromptu memorials at the site of the incident to millions raised by the #TorontoStrong fundraising campaign for victims and their families, we have come together.
The road to recovery begins with the right support and resources.
Like all people who have sustained personal injuries due to the actions of others, victims of the Toronto Van Attack have legal remedies available to them. They can make a claim for compensation and damages for their pain, suffering and losses. Our firm is among those retained by victims and their loved ones. As their legal advocates, we will seek the financial resources they need for their rehabilitation.
But that's not all; there are a wide variety of additional community supports in place to help victims of personal injuries as they move forward with their lives, recovery and healing. Gluckstein Lawyers offers a 24-page self-advocacy guide to help people learn about all the resources available to them within their community. This guide is designed to give people the tools they need to advocate on behalf of themselves following a serious personal injury. The guide is also meant to show them that they are not alone in their journey to healing - the larger community is also ready to lend a hand.
Gluckstein Lawyers' Community Resource Guide "Managing Your Recovery: A Self-Advocacy Guide" contains information about OHIP (the Ontario Health Insurance Plan) coverage, public drug programs, groups that provide help with assisted devices, private health insurance plans, tort claims, and many other matters. The guide also offers answers to common questions victims of personal injuries ask as they learn about the claims process.
To request a copy of the "Managing Your Recovery: A Self-Advocacy Guide", please contact Dianne Henderson directly.
Individuals reclaiming their lives with dignity and integrity.
Trying to make sense of an unexpected incident, learning about all the resources available to you, and deciding upon a course of action can be mind-boggling at the best of times. But if you or a loved one are injured, you may be experiencing pain, grief, or stress that only intensifies the situation. It makes everything feel more difficult and unmanageable.
As a firm dedicated to providing full-circle care to our clients, Gluckstein Lawyers is ready to offer any help we can to make both the legal process and your recovery easier. We want to become an important part of your own community network of support.
Related Posts: Gluckstein Lawyers Commits to 10 Years of Support for SickKids, Partnership with Ability Online Supports Peer Online Community
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
