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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No Mistrial for Withdrawn Violation Ticket Presented to Jury

The personal injury claimant was turning left at a dedicated left-turn lane in order to enter the parking lot of Kensington Square Shopping Centre on East Hastings Street in Burnaby, B.C. and collided with another vehicle travelling eastbound on East Hastings Street (Jones v. Frohlick,2018 BCCA 170). He suffered a displaced fracture of the sternum, and injuries…

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Second Medical Examination Refused but Appeal Granted

The personal injury claim involved a motor vehicle accident in which the defendant denied liability. The injury claimant alleges various soft tissue injuries and neurological or psychological injuries and was seen by one doctor for the defendant. The defendant was denied a request for a second medical examination.(Tran v. Abbott, 2018 BCCA 154) In allowing the…

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Aggravated Damages Award Reviewed by Court of Appeal

Aggravated damages compensate a claimant for intangible injuries, such as distress and humiliation, which are caused by a defendant’s conduct. The appellants were found to have defamed the plaintiff and the judge awarded damages of $1,205,000 and special costs, and granted a permanent injunction against the appellants, restraining publication of any defamatory words concerning the Plaintiff.  All…

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Left Turning Truck 100% at Fault for Hitting Motorcyle

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal finding a  truck driver solely liable for the serious injuries suffered by a motorcyclist totaling $838,430 in losses. The injury claimant was seriously injured when the motorcycle he was riding collided with the front end of the left-turning transport truck (Ranahan v. Iron Horse Enterprises & Logistics Inc.,2018 BCCA…

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