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

Future Care Costs Award in Car Accident Injury Claim Reduced by Court of Appeal

After suffering  injuries in what ICBC referred to as a low velocity impact car accident the trial judge awarded the claimant $115,975 for cost of future care in addition to awards for pain and suffering and out of pocket expenses.  Read my review of the  trial judge decision. The BC Court of Appeal has reduced the award for…

ICBC Not Required to Help Injury Claimant make a Proper Hit and Run Claim

In British Columbia people that are injured in hit and run car accidents can claim against the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, for their losses. There are however many limitations and exceptions as this money is coming from an uninsured recovery fund and not from an existing insurance policy. I have written several articles…

How Much Should You Pay for a Lawyer to Help with an ICBC Injury Claim

The amount personal injury lawyers can charge for a legal fee is regulated by the Law Society of British Columbia and lawyers are not free to charge whatever they want. Whether the lawyer decides to charge by the hour or based on a percentage, called a contingency fee, a lawyer cannot charge an amount that is…

Low Velocity Car Accident Claimant Awarded $22,500 for 14 Month Soft Tissue Injury

In some injury claims the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, may deny the claim based on the minimal car damage and low estimated speed of impact. However, the Court in BC has said many a time that damage to a vehicle is not a matter which is necessarily related to the claimant’s injuries. In…

Car Accident Injury May Cause Flare ups of Pain But No Loss of Earning Capacity

The injury claimant was an accounting student at the time of this head-on car accident(Pisani v. Pearce,2012 BCSC 1118). One of the key issues related to the extent her symptoms may impact her plan to become a chartered accountant. The claimant was driving downtown Vancouver and was returning home to their mother’s home in Coquitlam. The…

Legal Help After a Car Accident in Vancouver and Anywhere in British Columbia

As a practicing lawyer in British Columbia since 1995 much of my legal work has been done assisting claimants after car accidents. I want to make just a few comments in this article on the type of legal assistance a claimant needs after being involved in a car accident in our Province. Lawyers to help with the first steps following…

Personal Injury Claimant Wins Award for Loss of Farm Earning Capacity

In this loss of farm earning capacity car accident case(Verge v. Chan,2012 BCSC 876) the claimant’s vehicle was hit head-on at the intersection of Summit Drive and Chilcotin Crescent in Kelowna. The injury claimant suffered soft tissue injuries to her neck and back, a fractured right talus, bruising to and pain in her chest, and…

ICBC Defends Car Injury Case and Massage Therapist Still Wins $300,000 Award

The claimant, a registered massage therapist, was injured in a motor vehicle accident(Combs v. Moorman,2012 BCSC 1001) when her car, which was stopped, was struck from behind  in New Westminster, BC. Her vehicle was pushed into oncoming traffic and struck again head on by another vehicle.   ICBC participated directly in the personal injury lawsuit as a Third Party and the…

Car Accident Injury Claimant Wins Case Despite ICBC Statements

This personal injury case involved four car accidents for which liability was admitted(Demidas v. Poinen, 2012 BCSC 416). The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), on behalf of the defendants, said that the injury claimant was an unreliable witness and deliberately exaggerated his claims.  In each of his ICBC statements following the four accidents, he listed numerous complaints…

Offer to Settle Car Accident Injury Claim Rejected and Winning Claimant Gets Legal Fees Paid

In this offer to settle personal injury case(Bartel v. Milliken,2012 BCSC 971) the court makes it clear that withdrawing an  offer does not weigh against the awarding of double costs.  In this car accident personal injury case the injury claimant made an offer to settle her claim one week before the trial. The offer was not…