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

First Steps to Brain Injury Recovery Following a Car Accident

Brain injury following a car accident needs to be documented and treated for the greatest chance of a person being put back in the position they were in before the injury. Here are three important steps to take if you have suffered a brain injury in a car accident: Brain Injury Management Plan In the First…

Awarded 2 Years of Future Income Loss – The Capital Asset Approach

The Honourable Mr. Justice Skolrood in Kweon v. Roy,2016 BCSC 2305  is the source of today’s article about evaluating loss of income in ICBC personal Injury claims. In Kweon the ICBC claimant was awarded $165,000 for Loss of future earning capacity and $175,000 for pain and suffering. The Court of Appeal in Ibbitson v. Cooper, 2012 BCCA 249…

A Checklist for Future Loss of Earning Capacity Claims

The proper valuation of the loss of future income or earnings is critical to understanding how much an injury case is worth. When making a personal injury claim for future wage loss and loss of earning capacity in British Columbia the following legal principles are relevant: (a) General Duty to Compensate the Claimant To the extent possible,…

ICBC Second Medical Examination Refused by Court

The ICBC adjuster required that the claimant attend at a medical examination with an orthopedic specialist following her car accident injury claim. The claimant attended and a medical report was ordered under Part 7, ICBC accident benefits.  The defendant then wanted the claimant to attend  a SECOND doctor, a physiatrist (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) for the tort claim. The claimant…

Dismissal of Jury in Personal Injury Case Part of the Final Order

  This Court of Appeal decision assists appellants by not requiring leave for dismissal of juries in ICBC personal injury cases. The lawyer representing ICBC in his closing argument in front of a jury alleged that the claimant told half truths in her testimony about the car accidents and her injuries. This was in itself…

ICBC Dial a Claim Phone Number Used to Record Statements

After a car accident a phone call to the ICBC dial a claim number at 604-520-8222 or 1-800-910-4222 will result in an internal ICBC report being created called a CL-75. As displayed in the following case, these reports to ICBC can be used to impeach claimants and witnesses about the details of the accident. Watch our…

$7.5 Million Award Subject to Court Order Interest

In this wrongful conviction case the  Province was ordered to pay compensatory damages in the amount of $530,000, special damages in the amount of $56,691.80, and damages in the amount of $7,500,000 to serve both the vindication and deterrence functions under s. 24(1) of the Charter. The plaintiff was awarded costs at  Scale C of Appendix…

Responding to Your Own Medical Expert- The New World of Responsive Reports

Out of the civil rule changes in 2010 blossomed a homegrown medicolegal report (MLR) writing industry, a boom for ICBC doctors.  The Rules created a class of  “responsive” reports and “supplementary” reports with deadlines for service and strict guidelines for content. It appears only well informed MLR industry members are likely to obtain the admissible…