$6,000 Limit for Whiplash Soft Tissue Injury Compensation?

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.…

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Settlement Offers to ICBC in Fast Track Cases- Getting Double Costs

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…

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Avoid Becoming a Hired Gun- Brain Injury Opinion Rejected Again

Doctors and therapists that want to avoid earning the label of “hired gun” should: (1) limit the amount of work they do for one insurance company; (2) keep up to date with changes in medical research; (3)avoid unnecessarily criticizing medical colleagues without adequate justification; and (4) diagnose a condition in the same way they would…

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How Much My ICBC Claim is Worth- Updating Factors for Valuation

The factors to be considered when valuing a personal injury claim with ICBC or other insurance companies will change according to the stage of  your case. Some of the factors that may be important early on, such as claim reporting and notification, will give way to symptom documentation and medical diagnosis. Beware of the ICBC…

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Early Retirement Loss Awarded to 38 Year old with no Lost Income

This case affirms, despite what ICBC says to claimants without lawyers, an award for loss of future earning capacity is available in soft tissue injury cases in which claimants have suffered little or no loss of income: Hu v. Tan,2016 BCSC 908. The Supreme Court was convinced this personal injury claimant would not have considered retiring early had it not…

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Elderly Injury Claimant Awarded $50,000 for Pain and Suffering

Age is a factor for compensation for older and retired adults after a motor vehicle injury and is considered in today’s personal injury case: Bardua v. Han, 2016 BCSC 861.  As it relates to compensation for pain and suffering for retired individuals  Judge Griffin  famously stated: [88] The retirement years are special years for they are at a time…

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$740,000 Award in Low Velocity Injury Case and Dr. Koch Discredited

This personal injury claimant was awarded over $700,000 after ICBC failed to take her injuries seriously following six “minimal damage”, also called by ICBC “low velocity”, motor vehicle accidents. ICBC relied on Dr. William Koch, a registered psychologist in B.C. to argue that the claimant had pre-existing psychological disorders not related to the car accidents. Dr. Koch…

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Use of medical Marijuana Not in best interest of Claimant

This injury claimant was awarded $50,000 for pain and suffering but her claim for medical Marijuana of 3 grams a day in cream form for a period of two years at a cost of between $21,900 and $32,850 was totally dismissed (G. v. Ahn, 2016 BCSC 795). The claimant was injured in a motor vehicle accident which occurred at the intersection of…

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ICBC Beats Settlement Offer but Full Costs Still Awarded to Claimant

What happens if a claimant does not accept an ICBC offer and the court awards less than the amount offered? Are you forced to accept whatever ICBC offers? Is it a factor that ICBC is a big fish in the small pond of personal injury? Today’s ICBC offer to settle case shows that not accepting an offer…

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$115,000 Pain and Suffering Award for Soft Tissue Injury and Chronic Pain

Another walloping to the auto insurer ICBC as they seem to continually refuse to make reasonable offers of settlement. The Court has awarded $411,158.00 after a 2 week trial in Vancouver to a  claimant involved in a motor vehicle accident while driving on Highway 1 near Kamloops, B.C. (Biefeld v. Neetz,2016 BCSC 689). As a result…

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