Brown recognized for efforts to improve cycling safety

Toronto critical injury lawyer Patrick Brown was recently honoured with an award for his work in initiating and providing expert counsel for a provincial review on cycling and pedestrian deaths.

Brown, partner with McLeish Orlando LLP, was given the Active Transportation Champion award by the Toronto Centre For Active Transportation at this fall’s Bicycle Friendly Business Awards. Lawyer Albert Koehl was also given the award. Read Dandyhorse Magazine

“Brown is director of the Ontario Safety League, and a founding member and board member of Cycle Toronto; he also organizes the Bike Helmets on Kids initiative,” the dandyhorse article states. “He has lobbied on behalf of road users without auto insurance, and provided legal advice to cyclists.”

Brown has been practising for more than 19 years and has dedicated his career to helping those who suffer serious and catastrophic personal injuries as well as those families who have lost a loved one due to the fault of another.

‘Truly special’

“In my line of work most of the awards that we deal with are the ones that are granted by the courts or insurance companies to pedestrians and cyclists who have been struck down and horribly injured or killed,” Brown says in the article. “It was truly special for me to stand next to Albert, a person I respect so much, and be granted an award that recognizes the effort to prevent these tragic events from happening, as opposed to picking up the pieces after.”

The coroner’s report made a number of recommendations, including the adoption of a “complete streets” approach, a commitment to infrastructure to support cycling in Ontario, increased cycling safety public awareness and education, mandatory side-guards for trucks and mandatory helmet legislation for cyclists of all ages, the article states.