Since 2010, Holness and Small Law Group has written over 1000 legal blog articles. We believe that staying informed and current with personal injury news and case developments is essential to providing proper legal services to our clients when advocating for their rights.
The Supreme Court has presented a new interpretation to offers to settle when it comes to ICBC settlement offers(Kobetitch v. Belski,2018 BCSC 2247). This personal injury lawsuit involved two motor vehicle accidents, the jury awarding the claimant $760,000. ICBC sought costs of the trial based on offers to settle delivered before the trial began. The first ICBC offer…
The claimant was a pedestrian injured in a car accident. She hired a medical doctor specializing in occupational medicine to assist at the personal injury trial. In that capacity, Dr. B. was qualified as an expert “capable of providing expert opinion evidence with respect to the diagnosis, prognosis, rehabilitation, and functional and occupational, vocational and…
The defendants objected to the admission of expert reports tendered by the claimant on two grounds including the lateness of two economists’ reports. Pursuant to Rule 11‑6(3), the economist reports should have been served 84 days before the trial. The report were 12 days late, being served 72 days before the trial commenced. This was a mistake. …
This injury claimant was sexually assaulted while on a tour of Oakalla prison in the late 1970s. He sought damages from a corrections officer and the Province of British Columbia. The essence of the claim was that as part of a probationary term the claimant was required to go on a tour of the jail. The corrections…
This personal injury claimant was injured in two car accidents, the first was a head on collision at 188 Street in Surrey, and the second occurred at 192 Street at Number 10 Highway. The judge found that he suffered various soft tissue injuries. The defendants argued that the claimant’s original position was affected by fights that occurred when he…
In many personal injury cases there are several claims being made and some of these claims may not be successful at trial. How do you know when you have achieved substantial success? This is important when deciding on entitlement to legal costs and disbursements. Your substantial success will help determine the amount of money you…
The Supreme Court found this running pedestrian, wearing a dark hoody with headphones 80% at fault for an accident resulting in her injury. The pedestrian appealed the finding that he was 80% at to blame for the accident.(Vandendorpel v. Evoy,2018 BCCA 442) The accident occurred at the intersection of Mount View Avenue and Sooke Road…
Drivers in BC are required by law to purchase insurance coverage through ICBC, which includes accident injury benefits. Yet the insurance coverage often never gets paid out requiring purchased private insurance be used first. The premiums you pay for private coverage are a total loss and the result is a reduction in the value of…
The Supreme Court ruled this accident injury claim too difficult for a jury. The ruling of Master Dick found the injury case required prolonged examination of documents and scientific investigation. The Master allowed the application to be heard after the filing of a second Jury Notice, which appears to have extended the time for applying to strike the…
During the opening statement to a jury in a personal injury case the defence made several objections. After the jury left the courtroom, no less than 5 objections to the opening were made to the judge. All objections were essentially dismissed except one, which resulted in additional instructions being made by the Judge to the jury.…