How Much Should I get from ICBC for a Whiplash Injury?

As a personal injury lawyer in British Columbia I am often asked, “How much is my ICBC car accident injury worth?” by clients and potential clients.  Many car accident injury claims involve damages to the muscles and ligaments (soft tissue) in the neck which is commonly referred to as Whiplash.  For the purpose of injury…

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Facebook Photos In Personal Injury Lawsuit Ordered Produced Despite Privacy Concerns

Personal injury claimants in British Columbia should be aware of how the Courts deal with photos and videos kept at their Facebook accounts. As a personal injury lawyer in Vancouver since 1995 I have had to address privacy concerns for my personal injury clients in almost every case. With the evolution of social media, insurance…

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Fast Track Personal Injury Claimant Awarded over $100,000

In this Fast Track car accident injury case (Bissonnette v. Horn, 2012 BCSC 518) the injury claimant was a passenger in a vehicle driving southbound on 203rd Street, near Michaud Crescent, in Langley, B.C.  Another vehicle, also traveling southbound on 203rd Street, cut off the claimant  vehicle causing it to lose control, which then came in contact with a utility…

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Car Accident Injury Claimant on Maternity Leave at Trial Awarded over $120,000.00

The injury claimant was injured when the car she was driving was rear-ended by another vehicle(Fell v. Morton,2012 BCSC 428). Fault for the accident was admitted but causation and quantum remained in dispute likely by the insurer ICBC , given that the car accident occurred in British Columbia. The questions were whether the back and neck pain and…

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Personal Injury Award Conflates Legal Causation with Assessment of Damages Says Court Of Appeal

This car accident injury case was sent back for a new trial because the Court of Appeal found that the  trial judge was wrong in reducing the injury claimants award for failure to following medical advice (Wahl v. Sidhu, 2012 BCCA 111). I reviewed the original decision in which the injury claimant was travelling  on 72nd Avenue, in Surrey,…

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Personal Injury Award Reduced Due to Prior Back Pain and Fault for Car Accident

In this ICBC Langley personal injury claim (Shinkaruk v. Crouch,2011 BCSC 1762) a pickup truck collided with the claimant’s car in the intersection of 96th Avenue and Telegraph Trail.  The weather was clear, visibility was good and the streets were bare. The claimant’s evidence was that he pulled up to the sidewalk and looked to…

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ICBC Accident Injury Claimant with Lawyer Wins Low Award for Disc Herniation and Soft Tissue Injury

The claimant was  injured in a car accident in Kamloops, B.C. (Power v. Carswell, 2011 BCSC 1672) which occurred in the intersection of Lansdowne St. and 3rd Avenue, which is controlled by traffic signals. The claimant was driving a Pontiac Sunfire going straight when she struck a Jeep turning left. Both fault for the accident and the quantum of damages…

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Retired Lawyer Represents Himself in Personal Injury Case and Receives Low Award

This case is another reminder of why it is important to hire a personal injury lawyer if you have been injured in a car accident( see: Pearlman v. Phelps Leasing Ltd.,2011 BCSC 1696). The Judge had a difficult time accepting the testimony of the claimant stating, “The plaintiff’s credibility from the onset of the trial before…

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Injury Claimant Awarded Legal Fee Contribution as Judge Acknowledges Court Backlog

This personal injury summary trial,(Parmar v. Lahay, 2011 BCSC 1628) pursuant to Rule 9‑7 of the Supreme Court Civil Rules, involved a motor vehicle accident that occurred one year before the hearing.  There was no claim for loss of wages or any future loss of capacity and the only question was how much compensation should be awarded for pain and suffering.…

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Car Accident Injury Claimant Compensated by BC Court for Private Health Care Costs

Personal injury lawyers in British Columbia are always being asked to help get the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, to pay for medical expenses that are not covered by the Medical Services Plan. In this private medical cost car accident injury claim(Engqvist v. Doyle, 2011 BCSC 1585)  Judge Rogers in Kelowna found that the injury…

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