This Court of Appeal case displays the behaviour of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, nurses and doctors in British Columbia when it come to defending against medically negligent mistakes. This appeals arose out of a medical negligence action in which a nurse and doctor were found to be negligent at the emergency department of Powell River General Hospital.…
In awarding the full costs of a 28 day medical malpractice trial against the unsuccessful injury claimant the Court of Appeal had this to say, [213] I am not unsympathetic to the plight of the [] family. As a consequence of this judgment, they face a significant costs award in addition to the burden of continuing…
Medical malpractice claims are among the most complex, risky and unpredictable civil claims to bring before the British Columbia court. This Court of Appeal case reveals the extent to which timing a medical negligence claim with recovery can determine the successful outcome of the case (Bell v. Wigmore, 2017 BCCA 82). This claimant suffered tinnitus, dizziness and…
The B.C. Women’s Hospital and one of it’s nurses successfully appealed this $1.7 million personal injury award in which they were found to have negligently injured a patient ( 2015 BCSC 1941 ). The trial judge found the Nurse to have breached her duty of care owed to the patient, when placing the claimant’s left foot on…
Medical malpractice cases are among the most sophisticated and complicated civil claims to pursue. The Canadian Medical Protective Association, CMPA, defends doctors zealously hiring experts from within their ranks at will. On the other hand claimants are often left with a medical community unwilling to provide the medical opinion required to pursue the claim. The CMPA will often make…
In this medical malpractice case the claimant mother was 28 weeks pregnant when she presented in the emergency room complaining of neck pain. She was seen by a registered nurse and a family practitioner and was discharged with recommendation for massage therapy. She suffered seizures soon thereafter and underwent an emergency caesarean section. The claimant child was born with significant disability.…
ICBC insured defendants have lost a bold application to name a family doctor for negligent treatment in this multiple car accident lawsuit (Jack v. Kendrick,2015 BCSC 1872). The claim is for injuries sustained in three separate motor vehicle accidents and the allegation was that the family doctor prescribed negligently large doses of opiates. In order for ICBC to obtain…
In this medical malpractice case (Chen v. Ross,2014 BCSC 374) the claimant underwent a Membrane Surgery to remove clouding and to peel scar tissue off the lining of the eye. After the surgery the claimant experienced dramatic loss of vision in the left eye, and was eventually assessed as legally blind in that eye. The loss…
British Columbia personal injury claims are different than anywhere else in the world for two mains reasons: 1. The creation of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, and 2. the limited access to private healthcare. In Canada less than 30% out of the 2.29 million people injured annually go to a hospital emergency room…
This birth malpractice case (Cojocaru v. British Columbia Women’s Hospital and Health Centre,2013 SCC 30) resulting in brain injury affirms the direction that Canadian Courts are taking to informed consent in personal injury malpractice cases. The multi-million dollar award was upheld against one doctor for failing to provide the claimant with informed consent for the “vaginal…