Employer pays for Manulife’s human right’s violation.
On March 19, 2019, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that Manulife’s handling of a disability claim was “significantly flawed” (para. 36), amounting to a breach of Marianne Knight’s human rights. The Tribunal found that the employer, Surrey Place Centre, “delegated” it’s responsibilities to Manulife. Since Manulife was acting as the legal agent of the employer, it was the employer who was made to pay for Manulife’s conduct. In Knight v. Surrey Place Centre, 2019 HRTO 482, the medical evidence showed that Ms. Knight was...
read moreSettle your long-term disability claim – it’s GOOD for you.
You made a claim with an insurance company for long-term disability benefits. Your claim for long-term disability benefits been denied, or your long-term disability benefits were approved then terminated. Is the struggle slowly killing you? The solution? Settle. It’s good for you. Here’s why. Financial Peace of Mind: A claimant and his or her family frequently face dire financial consequences when the claimant is disabled from working, and then deprived of the disability benefits on which they had expected to rely. A lump sum settlement of a disability claim brings the...
read moreCourt of Appeal approves settlement of less than 10% value.
On November 29 2018, BC Court of Appeal approved the settlement of a claim which was potentially worth more than $400,000.00, for the all inclusive sum of 35,000.00. In Deo v. Vancouver, 2018 BCCA 464, a child suffered serious injuries at school, leaving him partially blind. He sued for damages and was largely unsuccessful on proving liability at trial. The child’s lawyer valued the claim at over $400,000, but before the liability appeals could be heard a settlement of $35,000 was reached. The child, being a minor, could not legally agree to any settlement and judicial approval...
read moreSun Life ordered to pay $600,000, even though replacement policy was void.
On November 22, 2018, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench ordered an insurance company to pay a $600,000 death benefit to the 2 surviving children and adult partner of a deceased man, Jeffery Moss. In Moss v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada, [2018] A.J. No. 1383, 2018 ABQB 953, the deceased’s daughter, Daniella Moss, brought a summary trial application seeking a declaration as to the validity of two insurance policies. She was one of the beneficiaries of the two life insurance policies on her father’s life. The deceased purchased a $600,000 life insurance policy in...
read moreConfidentiality clauses – why insurers love them, and why they should be abolished.
Most of my cases settle, often at mediation. Typically the insurer will bring a “standard” form of release to the mediation for my client to sign. If not, when the insurance company’s lawyer sends me the cheque it will be accompanied by a form of release which my client must sign in order to receive the settlement funds. In either case, the release will always contains something not usually discussed – a confidentiality clause. A confidentiality clause prohibits the parties to a settlement from disclosing the settlement terms. Confidentiality raises numerous problems. It can be bad for...
read more
