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.
Compensation for psychological and psychiatric injury is recoverable in British Columbia for victims of personal injury. The Supreme Court has dealt with psychological and psychiatric factors that overwhelm the physical injuries in numerous personal injury cases. In Agar v. Leonard,2016 BCSC 1430 the court has awarded over $900,000 to the claimant, $110,000 for psychological pain and suffering. The…
Can ICBC reduce an injury award because you did not attend recommended therapy or treatment for depression or anxiety? We explore the answer in the following injury case review. The claimant was injured in a rear end motor vehicle accident on the Seymour Parkway driving towards Deep Cove in British Columbia. She suffered ongoing chronic pain in her neck, shoulder…
No, There is no such limit on the compensation available to ICBC whiplash claimants or others suffering from neck injury and soft tissue injury in British Columbia. Howver, Accidents after April 1, 2019 may be subject to the 2019 ICBC Minor Injury Cap. ICBC is now allowed to call serious injuries minor to limit compensation.…
Personal injury lawyers and claimants need to know that a “without prejudice” letter from an insurance adjuster containing a request to settle does not extend the limitation deadline to start the lawsuit, says the Court of Appeal (Trombley v. Pannu,2016 BCCA 324). The trial judge dismissed this personal injury case as statute barred, finding that the letter from the adjuster did not acknowledge…
Making an injury claim with ICBC, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, after a vehicle accident requires providing specific information and meeting certain deadlines. What you say to ICBC in the first 30 days can set the tone for how your injury case will be dealt with. How to start an injury claim with ICBC is made…
An annoyingly slow overtaking vehicle cannot be blamed for the bad driving of others. The Court of Appeal has ruled that the overtaking another vehicle as quickly as reasonably possible standard is now inappropriate in British Columbia ( Borgfjord v. Boizard, 2016 BCCA 317). The slow defendant, driving 25-30 kph under the speed limit, was in the far left lane…
Here is an important tip for personal injury lawyers in BC- If the family doctor ordered or requested your client to have a private MRI and the advice was followed, this cost should be claimed as a special damage, not a disbursement (Uppal v. Judge, 2016 BCSC 642, para 107). The following is a case in point in which the cost…
Formal offers to settle in personal injury cases, including ICBC, filed in the Supreme Court are regulated by the Supreme Court Rules. Rule 9-1 is very specific about what is considered an offer to settle. An “offer to settle” is an offer that: (i) is made in writing by a party to a proceeding, (ii) has been…
Today’s motor vehicle accident case occurred in in Mission, BC between a motorcycle and a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle. The collision occurred as the claimant’s motorcycle attempted to pass the defendant’s vehicle on the left which was making a left turn ( Tabori v. Renaud, 2016 BCSC 1242). Two separate statements given to ICBC adjusters by a witness were reviewed by the…
The settlement amount offered to ICBC and the timing of the offer is important to a claim for double costs, even in “Fast Track” cases. As a general rule, the successful party in a fast-track personal injury case is awarded $6,500 in pre-trial costs and $1,500 in costs for each day of trial. Where an offer to…
