DAS Day in Court Launches National Search for Deserving Small Claims Cases

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 25, 2013) - DAS Canada, Canada's only specialty legal expense insurer, today announced DAS Day in Court - an opportunity for Canadians who have been left in 'legal limbo' to get their chance at justice. Starting today, DAS Day in Court accepts applications online for Canadians to 'make their case' and possibly win their day in court. Five individuals will be awarded legal representation to pursue their day in court.

"The expectation of fairness and access to justice is a quintessential Canadian quality," said Barbara Haynes, CEO of DAS Canada. "Canada currently places 16^th of 66 countries in access to civil justice*. It is a much bigger issue than we will be able to address through DAS Day in Court, but we believe that enabling even five Canadians to get their due process is a step in the right direction."

Every day across the country, individuals and small businesses run into unexpected legal situations. Unsuspecting consumers end up in disputes with unscrupulous service providers; employees find themselves terminated without cause or fair process. Condo boards are surprised when sued by the very residents they volunteer to represent, and small businesses have little recourse when clients refuse to pay a bill.

With the average cost of one hour of a lawyer's time ringing up at $360, Canadians all too often find access to justice unaffordable.

"The legal expense insurance product offered by DAS Canada is a viable option for individuals and small businesses to achieve affordable access to justice," said John Hoyles, CEO of the Canadian Bar Association. "Awarding five Canadians their day in court is an excellent way to put this important issue in the public eye through news media and the personal stories of the winners."

DAS Canada offers affordable access to justice for individuals, groups and small and mid-sized businesses through a suite of policies that meet the unique needs of consumers and business owners including: DASdrive - designed to support you when legal conflicts arise from the use or ownership of an automobile; DASliving - providing legal advice, assistance and cost coverage for individuals and families facing many of society's common legal problems, DASbusiness - designed to protect businesses against the cost of common business legal disputes and DASgroup - coverage that meets the needs and demands of any group, association, club or employer wishing to provide their members and employees with the benefits of legal expense insurance.

DAS Day in Court Details:

June 25, 2013 - July 19, 2013: Qualifying individuals or small business seeking access to justice may fill out an online application at DASdayincourt.ca. All applications will remain confidential at this stage.

July 22 - August 16, 2013: DAS Day in Court panel reviews applications and selects winners.

August 19, 2013: Five Canadians will be awarded legal representation so that they may have their day in court.

About DAS Canada

DAS Legal Protection Insurance Company Limited (DAS Canada) is a subsidiary of DAS Group, the global leader in the ten billion dollar legal expense insurance market. DAS Group is based in Germany and is a subsidiary of ERGO, Munich Re's primary insurer in Europe and Asia. DAS Canada is committed to bringing a fresh, modern approach to the marketplace, combining a forward-thinking attitude with almost a century of expertise. A full-service specialist in legal expense insurance, DAS Canada offers access to affordable justice for individuals, groups and small and mid-sized businesses. Policies are available in all Canadian Provinces and Territories. For more information, please visit www.das.ca.

* According to The World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2011