Running Pedestrian with Hoody and Headphones 80% to Blame for Injuries

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…

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Volvo Loses Appeal on $4.8 Million Mental Injury Award

  In this personal injury case Volvo was found 100% liable for negligent manufacture, negligent design and failure to warn for a Volvo 780 truck purchased in 2007. The appellants, Volvo Trucks North America Inc. and National Truck Centre Inc. dba Pacific Coast Heavy Truck Group, appealed an order that they pay damages to the…

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Caps on ICBC Pain and Suffering Awards an Obstacle to Justice

This is an appeal of an order dismissing a constitutional challenge to the requirement  to pay daily hearing fees in civil trials.(Cambie Surgeries Corporation v. British Columbia (Attorney General),2018 BCCA 385). This case outlines a few of the issues the BC government will face in trying to justify the denial of rights to the injured with ICBC injury caps,…

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Medical Examinations to Promote Equality in Civil Lawsuits

In this exceptional  case, the Court of Appeal reviewed,but did not weaken, the requirement to attend medical examinations in personal injury civil cases. This decision will not affect claimant requirements to attend ICBC medical examinatons for accident benefits. ICBC has a unique set of laws that govern their conduct differently than other parties to a…

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Repudiation of Settlement Agreement Must be Clear and Unequivocal

The central issues in this Court of Appeal settlement case are whether the parties reached a binding settlement agreement, and if the settlement was repudiated. This can sometime arise in ICBC personal injury cases after a settlement amount as been agreed upon but before the release has been signed. As an important principle in the settlement…

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Lawyers Guard Confidentiality and Bring Important Claims

A personal injury lawyer’s duty to guard confidentiality and to serve the best interest of the client is recognized in this Court of Appeal decision : Nuttall v. K.,2018 BCCA 341. The lawyer successfully appealed a special costs order against him for adding a party to a hit and run personal injury claim, which was found later…

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ICBC Loses $1 Million Multiple Car Accident Injury Award Appeal

This appeal by ICBC from a $1 million personal injury award reiterates the old adage that a judge is entitled to accept all, some or none of a witness’ evidence. A judge is not obliged to identify and discuss every piece of evidence related to factual deliberations in reasons for judgment; nor are they required to…

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75% Reduction for Failure to Mitigate Injury Set Aside

Sometimes it is obvious in a car accident case when a jury does not like a litigant. Although after 22 days of trial, the jury found the City of Surrey negligent for failing to adequately maintain the snowy roadway, they found the claimant 75% contributorily negligent. The jury also reduced her award by a further 75% on a…

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Divisibility and Liability in Multiple Car Accident Claims

This Court of Appeal case arose from a three car accident personal injury claim. This case was complicated by numerous tortious and non-tortious incidents which caused or aggravated the chronic mental and physical injuries before and after the car accidents in question.(Khudabux v. McClary,2018 BCCA 234) A review of the trial judge’s reasons can be found at  $75,000 pain and suffering Award for…

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Injured Commuter Gets New Trial as Collateral Fact Rule Breached

The claimant boarded a city bus in Vancouver that accelerated suddenly causing her to lose her balance and fall. She sued, without a personal injury lawyer, and the trial judge dismissed her claim. The bus company cross examined the claimant using surveillance video in a subsequent bus incident to impeach her credibility claiming it was a…

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