No adverse inference was drawn by the judge after the claimant failed to have his family doctor testify at the personal injury trial. (Fabretti v. Gill,2014 BCSC 899). This ICBC injury case involved a car accident that occurred on the Pattullo Bridge in New Westminster. The claimant was only 12 years old at the time. He…
This car accident personal injury claimant was awarded the cost of a private MRI as a reasonable disbursement (Gray v. Kohnert,2014 BCSC 888). This is great news for BC injury claimants but does have a few personal injury lawyers scratching their heads. Just weeks before this decision the Court refused the costs of a private…
This successful personal injury claimant was awarded double costs of all steps taken in the lawsuit following an offer to settle he made in the week before the trial (Ostrikoff v. Oliveira,2014 BCSC 842). In ICBC personal injury cases additional costs can be awarded to a party if they beat a reasonable offer made before the…
The law creating the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, essentially prohibits an owner, driver or passenger from entering into a contract to exclude liability while in use and operation of a motor vehicle. The majority of our Court of Appeal have determined that such a waiver or release is contrary to the nature of…
The settlement of personal injury cases in Canada just got more complex. The Supreme Court of Canada has eked out a new place for mediation contracts, in our legal arsenal of settlement tools, that contain absolute confidentiality clauses preventing parties from proving the terms of a settlement (Union Carbide Canada Inc. v. Bombardier Inc., 2014 SCC 35).…
The best news in 33 years for ICBC claims and personal injury cases involving claims for future loss of earnings and costs of future care! The decrease in the discount rate for future loss announced April 30, 2014 means claimants can expect more money for awards and settlements for future losses. This better reflects the decrease in…
This personal injury case involved in a motor vehicle collision that occurred on Highway 97 North near Summit Lake, BC. when the claimant hit into a parked vehicle that had lost control earlier(Hart v. Jacobsen, 2014 BCSC 704 ). Despite the ice and snow the claimant told the ICBC adjuster he was driving at 80 to…
As a Vancouver car accident lawyer assisting people with ICBC claims since 1995 I have three important tips for ICBC claimants and for those seeking legal advice after a car accident: 1. ICBC Claims Lawyer- Specialization Help with free ICBC advice is as easy as making a phone call. Most lawyers with experience in ICBC…
In this continuing personal injury saga the claimant’s left foot and ankle were struck by a rolling mounted truck tire from an unidentified vehicle, while he was riding a motorcycle on Highway 1 near Chilliwack, British Columbia(Walker v. Doe, 2014 BCSC 746). The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, was a nominal defendant in this lawsuit,…
In this offer to settle a personal injury case Judge Funt has done away with the old rule against all-inclusive offers to settle. That is to say the Judge entertained an $250,000 all-inclusive pre-trial offer of the defendant when awarding double costs to the defendant, changing the law and overturning our Court of Appeal in Helm v. Pattie(1998),…