ICBC injury claimants need to be aware that accepting an offer to settle is a binding agreement and further requests to ICBC to make their “best offer” will be futile. In today’s case study the court was asked by ICBC to declare that the personal injury lawsuit was settled for $20,000 plus court costs, for which the court…
In a stunning act of judicial deference this keen use of the broad discretion to award costs has allowed a personal injury claimant to recovery the legal costs of a claim despite dismissal of the action. The claimant was involved in two car accidents about 3 years apart. In the first accident the defendant admitting fault and the…
If an offer to settle a personal injury claim with ICBC is not in the proper form and not served on all the parties of record, the court can deny costs even if the offer is beat- Granja v. Jozsef, 2017 BCSC 1087. The injury claimant offered to settle his case for $70,000 before trial. ICBC refused…
This car accident claimant with born with spina bifida, scoliosis and kyphosis. When she was three she had her fibula taken from her left leg and fused into her spine. All her life, she has suffered pain, primarily from the kyphosis. However, she has always managed that pain (Cantwell v. Warren, 2017 BCSC 856). The car accident…
In this personal injury case a very competent young lawyer was tragically rendered less capable overall from earning income from all types of employment due to a falling injury resulting in brain injury. She was awarded $5.1 for her loss of earning capacity (click here for full case 2010 BCSC 1111). The judge found that it was highly…
A sprinkling of true judicial magic was used to arrive at a fair award in this multiple injury case. This was a complicated personal injury case arising from three car accidents wherein the injury claimant settled the second of the three claims with the Minister of Justice but could not reach settlement with Insurance Corporation of…
This is a personal injury case arising out a car accident which occurred on Howes Street in New Westminster. As the claimant entered an intersection on a green light another vehicle suddenly turned in front of her causing a collision. Loss of the ability to do work within the home is compensable as a loss of…
The Supreme Court has confirmed that it is not unreasonable for a car accident claimant to reject an ICBC offer if the medical evidence supports a claim of chronic pain not recognized in the offer (Bains v. Antle, 2017 BCSC 590). This claimant was awarded only $37,800 by a jury but was still awarded her court costs by the…
In this important Court of Appeal decision the court has upheld an award of $85,000 for pain and suffering arising out of a somatic symptom disorder, despite credibility and reliability issues. Also, and more importantly to the personal injury lawyers out there, the Court has dismissed the “higher burden of proof” rhetoric that has been read into…
In this self represented car accident case the injury claimant was awarded $49,000 for what she called incapacitating and permanent injuries. The claimant asked the court to award her approximately $175,000 for pain and suffering s, $243,000 in past wage loss, $616,000 for impaired earning capacity, $409,000 in future care costs, $20,000 in housekeeping expenses and $12,000…
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