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Court punishes defendants for not making admissions.
On May 25, 2016, the BC Supreme Court found the defendants at fault for a motor vehicle accident, and ordered that the defendants pay double costs for an “unreasonable” refusal to make admissions of facts sought in a notice to admit. In Ceperkovic v. MacDonald, 2016 BCSC 939, the defendants were sued for damages arising out of an accident involving three motor vehicles. Prior to trial the defendants were served with a Notice to Admit seeking admission of various facts. The defendants did not admit all of these facts requiring...
read morePlagiarism renders expert report inadmissible.
On May 19, 2016, a judge of the BC Supreme Court, Mr. Justice Saunders, ruled that an expert report was inadmissible into evidence for numerous reasons, particularly plagiarism. In Anderson v. Pieters, 2016 BCSC 889, the defence objected to the admissibility of a report produced by the plaintiff’s physician on numerous grounds. The judge excluded the report stating that he “would not qualify Dr. Sank as an expert capable of offering the opinion evidence tendered in the April Report.” Saunders J. then identified a far more...
read more$90,000 damages for chronic neck and back pain.
On March 30, 2016, the BC Supreme Court assessed damages for chronic soft tissue injuries suffered in two motor vehicle accidents (“MVAs”). In Niijar v. Hill the plaintiff was involved in two MVAs, the first in 2010 the second in 2012. The defendants admitted liability for both accidents. As a result of one or both of the accidents, the plaintiff suffered from chronic neck and back soft tissue injuries which continued to the time of trial and were expected to continue into the future. The Court assessed non-pecuniary damages at...
read moreFootball concussion case fails for lack of jurisdiction.
On March 11, 2016, the Chief Justice of the BC Supreme Court dismissed a case brought by a former BC Lions football for concussion related injuries, on the basis of wording in the league and player’s collective bargaining agreement. In Bruce v. Cohon, 2016 BCSC 491, the plaintiff, who played professional football with the CFL from 2001 – 2014, sued the league and its individual teams alleging that his career led to multiple concussions and sub-concussive injuries and he was negligently allowed to continue playing while displaying these...
read moreICBC punished for alleging fraud.
On March 1, 2016, the BC Supreme Court ordered ICBC to pay $350,000 in punitive damages for malicious prosecution after alleging that the plaintiff acted fraudulently following a pedestrian collision. In Arsenovski v. Bodin, 2016 BCSC 359, the plaintiff was walking with her husband when he was struck by a vehicle. The plaintiff was not struck by the vehicle but did fall down and suffer some modest injuries during the incident and she reported this to ICBC. Specifically she told ICBC that “the last thing I remember was stepping off...
read moreTrial adjourned due to uncertain prognosis.
On February 16, 2016, the BC Supreme Court granted an application to adjourn a personal injury trial in the face of uncertain medical evidence about the plaintiff’s prognosis. In Gee v. Basra, 2016 BCSC 427, the plaintiff was injured in a 2011 motor vehicle accident for which the defendant admitted liability. The plaintiff suffered chronic headaches and the her physician was uncertain as to her prognosis, noting that a course of Botox injections may prove helpful, stating that: Jodene [the plaintiff] is now four years post injury and...
read moreManulife applied to have me disqualified from suing them, and lost.
On November 30, 2015, the BC Supreme Court dismissed arguments by the Manufacturer’s Life Insurance Company, attempting to have me disqualified from acting as plaintiff ‘s counsel in a breach of contract claim against them.
read moreIf causes are not “divisible” damages will flow.
Ms. K. suffered whiplash type injuries in a 2007 car accident. Her pain became chronic and she became depressed. The consensus of the medical experts at her trial was that “her chronic pain is unlikely to resolve and the focus of her treatment should be on pain management, not cure.” Ms. K. admitted that she had a troubled childhood. also, a few years after her accident she experienced a torn rotator cuff, then shoulder surgery and then a frozen shoulder which were all unrelated to her accident. In K. v. Galasinao, 2015 BSSC 1532, Mr. Justice...
read moreICBC doctor a “very unhelpful medical witness”.
On December 23, 2015, the BC Supreme Court criticized a defence expert witness for crossing the line into advocacy. In Ferguson v. McLaughlin the plaintiff was injured in a 2009 collision caused by the defendant. The defendant’s insurer hired a physician who presented evidence largely discounting the connection of the plaintiff’s complaints to the collision. In rejecting this evidence Madam Justice Griffin made the following pointed comments: [63] The defendant called the...
read moreCourt awards $3 million for brain injury.
On December 14, 2015, the BC Supreme Court assessed damages of $3 million dollars for a plaintiff who sustained a brain injury in a vehicle collision. In Grassick v. Swansburg the plaintiff, who was 16 at the time, was a pedestrian and struck by a vehicle driven by the defendant. The plaintiff suffered a moderate to severe brain injury which impacted his cognition and was expected to have permanent repercussions. The Court found that the plaintiff was an ambitious and hard working young man who, but for the brain injury, would...
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