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

Claimant Beats Best Offer to Settle but no Double Costs

An ICBC injury claim always gets to a point where offers to settle have to be made. If an injury claimant makes a reasonable offer and ICBC refuses to to accept the offer, the Court can punish ICBC if the court award in more than the offer. However, the rules of court allow judges to…

Open Courts Process the Very Soul of Justice in Personal Injury Cases

This was an application of a personal injury claimant to have the judge’s reasons withdrawn from the Court’s website (2017 BCCA 321). In  the personal injury case it was alleged the claimant suffered a brain injury that left him with a lack of emotional control. The claimant had an “outburst” during cross-examination that involved the use of expletives, and…

Hurt BC Lawyers Helping with ICBC since 1999

At hurtbc.com, get free legal consultation for ICBC personal injury claims. Hurt in BC?Lawyers at Holness Law Group have been helping ICBC claimants since 1999 with no up front fees. One of the most established personal injury law firms in British Columbia Holness Law Group has settled thousands of ICBC personal injury cases for people…

ICBC Hired Gun Rejected By the Court in Personal Injury Case

Medical Experts in personal injury cases are supposed to be impartial, independent and absent of bias. Dr. O.M. Sovio was qualified as an expert in orthopedic surgery in this personal injury case but his opinion was rejected by the Court. Dr. Sovio agreed that in the years since 2009 work for the Insurance Corporation of British…

Claiming Loss of Future Income in Personal Injury Cases

In this personal injury case study the issue of greatest disagreement was the appropriate award for future loss of earnings or loss of income-earning capacity. The ICBC claimant, 42 years old at trial, was involved in a motor vehicle accident in the city of Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The claimant was driving about 10 km an…

Investigation Reports of Insurance Company Remain Confidential

This personal injury claim arises from injuries suffered while the claimant was a guest at the defendants’ home. The claimant brought this application for an order that the defendants disclose an independent adjuster’s report and audio statements over which litigation privilege was claimed.(Drewniak v. Law, 2017 BCSC 1565) The documents sought were created after the personal injury lawyer for…

Reduction in Pain and Suffering Award for Failure to Mitigate

This injury claimant’s failure to follow medical advice resulted in a 10% reduction in the award for pain and suffering. The claimant was stopped at a red light at East 49th Avenue and Knight Street in Vancouver when his vehicle was rear-ended.  The court found that he suffered soft tissue injuries to his neck, back and right shoulder. In reducing…

Lower Burden of Proof for Future Events in Personal Injury Cases

This case provides an important restatement of the law of evidence regarding the burden of proof in personal injury cases: [110]   The burden of proof of actual past events is a balance of probabilities. An assessment of loss of both past and future earning capacity involves consideration of hypothetical events. The plaintiff is not…