Defence request for 2nd medical exam denied.
On July 24, 2014, the BC Supreme Court, Vancouver Registry, confirmed that a second Court ordered defense medical exam is inappropriate solely in anticipation of an event which may not occur. In Litt v. Guo the plaintiff was involved in two collisions and sued for damages. In the course of the lawsuit the plaintiff consented to a defence medical exam with a physician that addressed the plaintiff’s injuries. As trial neared the defence applied for a further exam with a new physician arguing that the initial report was dated and further that “the plaintiff might file a newer...
read more“Low Velocity Impact” strategy rejected by the Court.
On June 18, 2014, the BC Supreme Court considered and rejected ICBC’s “low velocity impact” strategy. In Dunne v. Sharma the plaintiff sued for damages as a result of two collisions. She alleged both physical and psychological consequences following these collisions. The defendant argued that any injuries the collisions caused were relatively minor as the collisions were modest. In support of the defendant’s argument accident reconstruction evidence was introduced which discussed the forces of the collision. In rejecting the defendant’s argument Mr. Justice Williams...
read moreWhen resigning may actually be wrongful dismissal.
A constructive dismissal occurs when an employer substantially changes the terms of an employee’s contract of employment which the employee does not consent to, either explicitly or implicitly. In this situation, the employee may be able to treat the employment contract as being at an end, which entitles the employee to notice from the employer as if the employee had been terminated. Employer Actions that Constitute Constructive Dismissal For a constructive dismissal to occur, the employer must act in a way that changes the fundamental terms of the employment relationship are changed. Such...
read more$1.8 million diminished earning capacity for non-working plaintiff.
On May 20, 2014, the BC Supreme Court addressed the difficult problem of assessing damages for a lifetime of disability for a plaintiff who has not yet entered the workforce. In Hermanson v. Durkee, 2014 BCSC 877, the plaintiff was involved in a motor vehicle collision and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury which rendered him competitively unemployable. He was 18 at the time, had just graduated high school and had not entered the workforce. He “did not excel academically” and “it became apparently that post-secondary education was not likely or realistic“. The court had to assess...
read moreMediation discussions not always confidential.
On May 8, 2014 the Supreme Court of Canada carved out an important exception to the promise to keep mediation discussions confidential. Companies and their insurers rely on private mediators to settle lawsuits partly because what is discussed at mediation stays confidential. This ensures that business strategy stays under wraps and public scandal for mistakes is avoided. In 2011, Bombardier and Union Carbide tried to settle a decade-long $32,000,000 court battle through mediation. In 1997, 1998 and 2003, Bombardier bought gas tanks from Union Carbide to use in Sea-Doo personal watercraft. In...
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