Ms Franklin was motivated to write this following her own experiences of sustaining serious traumatic injuries when struck by a vehicle while crossing the street. Her injuries resulted in extensive surgeries, two weeks in hospital, six months in a wheelchair, several years of rehabilitation, and many years dealing with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) to get a proper settlement. The problems she faced were very similar to the problems that most victims of accidents face: dealing with physicians who may not detect conditions requiring treatment, facing insurers who assume that claimants exaggerate their problems, dealing with “experts” hired by insurance companies who downplay disabilities, as well as dealing with lawyer’s billing practices, which she points out are not always fair.

While motivated to write this guide from her personal experiences, the book is extremely well researched. She consulted with numerous experts in the areas of law, the insurance industry, medical and rehabilitation fields, as well as government agencies. She also thoroughly researched the applicable legal statutes and regulations relating to personal injuries and motor vehicle accidents. In short, she wrote the kind of book she wishes was available to her after she was involved in an accident.

In addition to covering personal injury claims through ICBC, she provides valuable and extensive information in dealing with WorkSafeBC and other government agencies such as the Ministry of Human Resources, Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), and Canada Pension Plan (CPP). She points out the intricacies involved in dealing with these various agencies.

Not only does she examine the medical, legal and insurance side of personal injuries, she also discusses the impact of an injury in terms of coping with the emotional aspects, family dynamics, lifestyle changes, and changes in sexuality following injury. She also covers areas such as dealing with the issues of financial competency following a brain injury, the need to appoint a financial trustee, and dealing with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee.

She provides very practical suggestions such as how to interact with insurance adjusters, the do’s and don’ts of dealing with Independent Medical Examiners, the issue of physician-patient confidentiality (which she points out no longer applies once a legal action commences), when to hire a lawyer, how to choose the right lawyer, and how to deal with problems that may arise with a lawyer. One very insightful chapter is devoted entirely to ‘Insurance Company Tactics’.

Using her skills as a widely published writer, she writes about very complex topics using plain language. She also provides a resource directory that includes contact information for various government agencies, medical and rehabilitation centres, advocacy groups, useful website links, recommended reading, and even recommended movies dealing with the topic of disabilities.