Vancouver Immigration And Cross-Border Injury Law Blog

When British Columbia residents travel across the border, they will likely share the road with big rigs. Road Safety BC says that the sheer size and weight differences between cars and commercial trucks put car occupants at four times higher risk of suffering fatal injuries in the event of a collision with a big rig. When this involves cross-border personal injury, recovering damages could be a complicated process.

According to a safety program to improve truck awareness, safety authorities used footage captured on the dashcams of commercial trucks. Shockingly, the recordings showed that drivers of cars were at fault in a significant percentage of truck vs. car accidents. It is believed that many passenger car drivers do not understand the significant differences in the ways trucks respond and perform.

For British Columbia residents who become auto accident victims while on a trip south of the border, recovering damages could be a daunting prospect. If the cross-border personal injury includes head, face or brain trauma, the consequences could be life-altering. Such injuries are particularly prevalent in high-speed crashes, but even crashes at slower speeds could cause serious injuries.

Striking the head against the dashboard, steering wheel or windshield could cause penetration injuries or fractures to the skull. Still, even just the violent whiplash movement of the head and neck can cause traumatic brain injuries. Brain trauma can leave a victim in a coma, followed by long-term cognitive problems. Whiplash can cause bruising, swelling and even bleeding of the brain from smashing into the inner walls of the skull, without any external damage to the head.

March is Distracted Driving Awareness Month in British Columbia. Although many drivers think they have heard it all before, safety authorities say drivers need frequent reminding of their increased vulnerability if they give in to distractions. For Vancouver residents who head south of the border, it might be a good idea to look out for drivers who show signs of being distracted. Navigating cross-border personal injury claims can be complicated.

RoadSafetyBC says the prevention of distracted driving starts at learning the rules of the road. One often disregarded rule is the law that prohibits using a cellphone while stopped at a red light or in held-up in traffic. Although hands-free cellphone use is allowed, setting up Bluetooth and attaching the device must be done before the trip starts. However, all mobile phone use, even in hands-free mode, is prohibited for learner or novice drivers.

Anyone in British Columbia who wants to become a naturalized U.S. citizen will need to be aware of recent changes to the application requirements. U.S. immigration laws have always required applicants to demonstrate moral character. Up until recently, the list of criminal convictions that automatically disqualified an individual was somewhat limited. Applicants were also required not to have been accused of certain criminal charges for the five years preceding the application. 

Unacceptable behaviours that will make the applicant ineligible include illegal gambling, drunk driving, prostitution, dishonesty in seeking immigration benefits and a criminal record showing aggravated felonies. According to a recent news release issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the new list of unlawful acts is significantly more extensive than the previous list. Furthermore, the new GMC requirements will include clear examples of actions deemed unlawful.