Today’s blog post is brought to you by the firm’s principal counsel, Mark McCourt, who last month wrote his 16th guest column on auto insurance reform in the last three years, and earlier this month provided a written submission to the Auto Insurance Rate Board for its 2026 Annual Review. I became a lawyer 35 years ago today. Four years later, in August of 1995, I founded motor vehicle accident (MVA) injury firm McCourt Law Offices. Since that time, our law firm has helped th

Over 20 years ago, then-Finance Minister of Alberta Patricia Nelson embarked on a crusade to rip rights away from innocent injured Albertans so as to reduce auto insurance rates for the young and the reckless. A then-conservative columnist from the Calgary Herald by the name of Danielle Smith remarked, “If you believe Nelson, the reason Alberta needs insurance reform at all is because a bunch of summer students are being refused jobs by companies that don’t want to pay astron

Suffering an injury can be overwhelming, especially when it was not your fault. Whether the accident occurred on the road, at work, or on someone else’s property, knowing when to contact an Edmonton injury lawyer can make a meaningful difference in your recovery and financial outcome. Many people delay speaking with a lawyer because they believe their injuries are minor or assume insurance companies will act fairly. Unfortunately, waiting too long can weaken your claim. Thi

Today's blog post is based on McCourt Law Offices principal counsel Mark McCourt's guest column published in the Western Standard on May 21, 2026 -- the day United Conservative Party Premier Danielle Smith replaced Nate Horner with Jason Nixon as her government's new Minister of Finance. In the three years since Smith's UCP won the May 29, 2023 Alberta general election, Mr. McCourt has penned 15 guest columns (7 in the Edmonton Journal, 5 in the Calgary Herald and 3 in the We

Today's blog post is based on Mark McCourt's Guest Column in the Edmonton Journal last week. Since Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party won the May 2023 Alberta election, McCourt has authored numerous guest columns on the issue of auto insurance reform: seven in the Edmonton Journal, five in the Calgary Herald and two in the Western Standard. In November 2024, UCP Finance Minister Nate Horner held a press conference to announce his department’s plans to radicall

Despite mandatory auto insurance laws, uninsured driving remains a reality on Alberta roads. Whether caused by financial hardship, expired policies, or noncompliance, uninsured drivers can leave others facing serious stress after a collision. Being struck by an uninsured driver can quickly lead to worries about medical costs, vehicle damage, and lost wages. While many Albertans worry they will be left paying out of pocket, Alberta law provides important protections and opti

Happy Groundhog Day, Premier Danielle Smith! Is springtime in Alberta just around the corner, or do Albertans have to put up with six more weeks of Finance Minister Nate Horner? Today's blog post is an encore presentation of Mark McCourt's kick-ass Guest Column last week in the Western Standard: "Debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust and wide-open, and... may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public off

In flagrant disregard of experts who warn that switching from an at-fault auto insurance system to no-fault tends to result in more dead people on the roads, Premier Danielle Smith has yet to scrap CINO Finance Minister Nate Horner's destructive plan to impose on Albertans a no-fault auto insurance scheme starting January 1, 2027. Jason Kenney , who was replaced as Premier by Smith in 2022, alerted Albertans that year that " the lunatics are trying to take over the asylum

Winter in Alberta isn’t just a season. It’s a force of nature. The snow falls heavy, the ice creeps across the roads, and visibility can vanish in an instant. Every drive becomes a battle against black ice, blizzards, and reckless drivers who think they’re invincible. At McCourt Law Offices, we know the dangers lurking on Alberta’s winter roads. No matter how cautious you are, the reality is harsh, accidents happen. And when they do, you need someone in your corner who und

Today's blog post, which was published as a Guest Column in the Western Standard last week, was written by McCourt Law Offices firm founder and principal counsel Mark McCourt , who also authored the recent Edmonton Journal Guest Column, " Alberta should take the off-ramp on Care-First auto insurance ". Earlier this year, the UCP government rammed through the legislative assembly a no-fault auto insurance bill under which Albertans would see their rates rise and rights remo

When an accident leaves you reeling, whether from a car crash, a motorcycle mishap, or a pedestrian incident, the aftermath can feel overwhelming. Pain, confusion, and mounting bills often cloud your judgment. That’s where McCourt Law Offices in West Edmonton steps in, offering over 30 years of experience to guide you through the chaos. As a dedicated personal injury firm, we understand the challenges you face and the importance of building a strong case. A critical step in s

If Premier Danielle Smith were honest with Albertans, she'd say "If you think the UCP's Corrupt Care scandal is bad, just wait until you uncover the truth about our Care-First fiasco!" Last November, Smith and her Finance and Affordability Ministers (doing their best Jim Carrey & Jeff Daniels impressions) announced this incompetent government's staggeringly unpopular plan to obliterate 99% of auto accident tort law cases in Alberta and replace the at-fault insurance system wi

Injury lawyer Mark McCourt founded McCourt Law Offices on August 1, 1995, and since that day 30 years ago, the firm has assisted thousands of Albertans injured by reckless drivers recover the compensation that they deserve for their pain and suffering, income loss, out-of-pocket expenses and other damages. As the Canadian Bar Association stated over 50 years ago, "the right of an individual to recover general damages from the wrongdoer in motor vehicle accident cases and to

Now that hockey season has given way to summer, Alberta’s urban centres are bustling with activity, and with that comes an ongoing...

The spring session of the Alberta Legislative Assembly concluded May 15, 2025, with Royal Assent of Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance...

Individuals who suffer injuries due to motor vehicle collisions in Edmonton may be entitled to compensation. At McCourt Law Offices, we...

Shout out to April Fools' Day birthday girl Danielle Smith , who (good for her!) is Premier of Alberta despite some conservatives calling...

This St. Patrick's Day blog post is written by dual Irish-Canadian citizen Mark McCourt , our firm founder and principal counsel: The...

In November of last year, Premier Danielle Smith stood before United Conservative Party members at the UCP AGM and promised that "Together we will vigorously protect the rights and freedoms of Albertans ." Yet later that month, and against the better judgment of a majority of her cabinet ministers , the Premier and her Finance Minister Nate Horner announced at a press conference that effective January 2027, the UCP government no longer will legally require corporations that

The following press release was issued today to news media by our firm founder and principal counsel, Mark McCourt: Happy New Year, ladies and gentlemen. In 1974, the Canadian Bar Association passed a resolution still in place today: “Be it resolved that the right of an individual to recover general damages from the wrongdoer in motor vehicle accident cases and to have such right adjudicated in the courts is one of the most vital hallmarks of the Canadian system of justice.”