The Judge agreed to instruct the jury, in this personal injury case, that they can draw an adverse inference from the claimant’s failure to have her treating psychiatrist provide an opinion.(Brar v. Ismail, 2018 BCSC 1487) The claimant’s depression was a central factor in this personal injury lawsuit. She claimed the car accident significantly aggravated her…
In a surprise winning decision this personal injury claimant succeeds in his appeal against the dismissal of his injury claim. Failing to file a medical-legal report is not a grounds for dismissal and the claimant was not provided with adequate notice. However, given the scant evidence he was only awarded $100.00. for his personal injury…
The Court of Appeal has rejected the argument that the late admission of ICBC’s experts reports created a prejudice to the claimant. The claimant was injured in a car accident and sought damages in excess of $3 million. The trial judge awarded damages of less than $850,000. Among other things, the judge found that: (a) the…
A jury trial is a presumptive right in a personal injury action. This car accident injury occurred on Salt Spring Island when another vehicle, travelling in the opposite direction, turned left and into the path of the claimant’s vehicle. Given the complicated mental injury claim and other legal issues the claimant applied, unsuccessfully, to have the jury struck.…
Out of the civil rule changes in 2010 blossomed a homegrown medicolegal report (MLR) writing industry, a boom for ICBC doctors. The Rules created a class of “responsive” reports and “supplementary” reports with deadlines for service and strict guidelines for content. It appears only well informed MLR industry members are likely to obtain the admissible…
If ICBC hires a doctor to examine a claimant, the denial of the claim may be based on “junk science” and therefore can be challenged. Novelty is a measure of reliability which must be balanced against its effect on the mind of the trier of fact. The concept of ‘novel’ is used to distinguish evidence that…
This was an assessment of the injury claimant’s bill of costs in a personal injury action that was settled at a mediation some three and a half months before the trial. The issue was whether it was reasonable to incur the cost of a vocational assessment when the claimant was already at the age of retirement…
The Supreme Court of BC awarded this chronic pain claimant $115,000 for pain and suffering but complained about the manner of calling the expert evidence in this personal injury trial. After the injury claimant commenced her evidence on the first morning of the trial, a medical expert was called as a witness the first afternoon. Another medical expert was…
In this medical malpractice case the claimant mother was 28 weeks pregnant when she presented in the emergency room complaining of neck pain. She was seen by a registered nurse and a family practitioner and was discharged with recommendation for massage therapy. She suffered seizures soon thereafter and underwent an emergency caesarean section. The claimant child was born with significant disability.…