$175,000 Pain and Suffering Award for MTBI and Somatoform Disorder

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) is often hotly contested by ICBC and other insurance companies after a car accident. In this case the judge accepted the diagnosis. She had the benefit of hearing from two neurologists who had conflicting opinions on whether or not the claimant suffered a MTBI. The defence neurology expert, Dr. Rehan Dost, was…

Read more

Personal Injury Claimant Trumps Medical Expert Testimony

The Supreme Court of BC awarded this chronic pain claimant $115,000 for pain and suffering but complained about the manner of calling the expert evidence in this personal injury trial. After the injury claimant commenced her evidence on the first morning of the trial, a medical expert was called as a witness the first afternoon.  Another medical expert was…

Read more

$175,000 Pain and Suffering Award for Brain Injury with Normal MRI

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) can be difficult to diagnose after car accident. The Insurance Corporation of BC generally refuses to accept the existence of a MTBI and will fight these claims to the end. In this case ICBC hired Dr. Rehan Dost, Neurology. Dr. Dost was eager to assist the court in assessing the credibility of the claimant…

Read more

70 Year old Awarded $60,000 for Pain and Suffering Despite Full Time Work

This personal injury claimant was involved in a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Westminster Highway and No. 5 Road in Richmond, British Columbia  and suffered some level of neck, back, shoulder, and arm pain for more than three-and-a-half years. Despite her age and injury she was able to return to work on a full-time basis, for nearly…

Read more

Offer to Settle ICBC Injury Case Beat and Double Costs Awarded

ICBC is now forced to pay double costs on behalf of their insured after failing to accept several reasonable offers to settle this personal injury claim. ICBC’s unreasonable conduct forced this claimant to pursue this car accident litigation for over 10 years to obtain an award of over $700,000.00 from the court for soft tissue injuries to her…

Read more

Exaggerating the Impact- Personal Injury Case Raised from the Dead

  In a dramatic turn-around the Court of Appeal has allowed the appeal and set aside the order below dismissing this personal injury case . The car accident was at a very low speed and resulted in only approximately $100 in damage to the bumper of the claimant’s van. The defendant’s car was behind the claimant’s van in…

Read more

$600,000 Injury Award Upheld- No Adverse Inference or Failure to Mitigate

Even if an injury claimant wins at trial in an ICBC injury claim, defendant’s have a right of appeal.  In this case even though the defendant lost at trial they alleged that the trial judge was wrong and should have blamed the claimant for her own injuries (failure to mitigate) and should have drawn an adverse…

Read more

$15,000 for Mental Distress and Total Disability Defined

This 36 year old injury claimant sought  an order requiring Empire Life Insurance Company  to pay her long-term disability benefits as the insurance company refused to pay the disability benefits (Tanious v. The Empire Life Insurance Company,2016 BCSC 110). The retroactive value of the claim was no more than $60,000, after making appropriate deductions for taxes and CPP…

Read more

$100,000 Pain and Suffering Award for Neck Pain and Headaches

The purpose of an award for pain and suffering, called “non-pecuniary damages”, is to provide money compensation that ameliorates the condition of an injured claimant. In making such an award, the following factors are relevant: age of the claimant;  nature of the injury;severity and duration of pain; disability; emotional suffering; loss or impairment of life;  impairment of family, marital and social…

Read more

Most Important Personal Injury Cases of 2015

Developments in personal injury law for 2015 are exciting and range from the new and approved claim of moral injury to new limits on sanctions that can be leveled against injury claimants. ICBC claimants that fail to accept a reasonable offer no longer have to pay double costs and Masters cannot impose financially crippling sanctions against claimants  in the document…

Read more