Renn A. Holness is a gifted lawyer and author to over 1000 legal blog articles. Married father of two daughters, son of a neurosurgeon and founder of Holness and Small Law Group

Government Monopoly on Car Insurance Expanded-No Lawyer for you!

ICBC Personal injury caps, wiping out fundamental principles of fairness and compensation. ICBC and the current NDP are poised to extinguish the rights of all British Columbian’s injured in a car accident. On May 5, 2018 there was a large community rally outside the Surrey office of MLA Jinny Sims opposing the introduction of injury…

Reporting after a Car Accident

This is what you need to do for an accident in British Columbia, a province with an automobile compensation scheme different than any other legal jurisdiction in the world. We have a combined no fault and tort based system for automobile insurance and compensation. You will therefore be responsible for several deadlines in both claims. For ICBC accident benefits…

$175,000 ICBC Offer Rejected and Court Awards $174,360 plus Costs

An offer to settle in any personal injury case should be clear and unambiguous. The claimant and ICBC should use plain language when settling car accident cases. The offer  of settlement should avoid colloquialisms or idioms that are understood by a limited audience. In today’s case review an ICBC insured sought to deny an injury…

Second Medical Examination Refused but Appeal Granted

The personal injury claim involved a motor vehicle accident in which the defendant denied liability. The injury claimant alleges various soft tissue injuries and neurological or psychological injuries and was seen by one doctor for the defendant. The defendant was denied a request for a second medical examination.(Tran v. Abbott, 2018 BCCA 154) In allowing the…

Chronic Psychiatric to be coined “Minor Injury” deserving $5,500 in NDP Injury Cap Scheme

The new NDP injury cap legislation degrades chronic psychiatric conditions to “minor injuries” and leaves claimants without a legal advocate. This change tramples on individual rights and its only aim is saving ICBC from elimination. The vulnerable, the innocent that develop chronic illnesses due to car accidents will be offered a maximum one time payment of…

City Failed to use Best Efforts to Fix Hazard Liable for Injury

This was an appeal by the City of Salmon Arm from a finding of negligence for injuries suffered when the claimant tripped over the metal base of a broken traffic sign that was protruding from a sidewalk. The judge concluded the City breached the standard of care in not locating and repairing the sign before the incident. The injury…

$200,000 Award for Carbon Monoxide Brain Injury

 This husband and wife suffered brain injuries from carbon monoxide (“CO”) emissions when maintenance of their living room fireplace was negligently performed. The fireplace had been removed and later reinstalled and serviced by the defendant heating company (Edwards v. Parkinson’s Heating Ltd.,2018 BCSC 593).  The wife was awarded $50,000 and the husband $200,000 for the pain, suffering and…

Slip and Fall in Superstore Results in Brain Injury

This slip and fall claimant was awarded $175,000 for the pain and suffering arising out of a brain injury.  The claimant sought  damages under the Occupiers Liability Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 337 (“OLA”) for injuries suffered in a slip and fall that took place at the  Real Canadian Superstore located at 333 Seymour Boulevard, North Vancouver, British Columbia. The…