Settlement Offer Beaten and Claimant Awarded Double Costs

This successful personal injury claimant was awarded double costs of all steps taken in the lawsuit following an offer to settle he made in the week before the trial (Ostrikoff v. Oliveira,2014 BCSC 842). In ICBC personal injury cases additional costs can be awarded to a party if they beat a reasonable offer made before the…

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ICBC Offer to Settle Personal Injury Claim Attracts Costs

ICBC’s offer to settle this personal injury case for $125,000.00 was just above the $121,600 awarded by the court. As a result the judge denied the claimant his costs after the date of the ICBC offer for the first accident and, having found the second car accident caused no injury, awarded costs to the other successful…

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What is My ICBC Claim Worth – Assessing the Value of a Claim for Settlement

Quick Answer: “A Case Settles for what it is Worth” As a young lawyer I was told by my mentor Thomas O. Griffiths a case settles for what is it worth and was quickly put to work researching caselaw. I had a hard time understanding what he meant because you never know how much the…

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$300,000 Personal Injury Settlement Offer Rejected- $250,000 repayment Ordered

This personal injury claimant suffered soft tissue injuries in a car accident which developed into pain disorder. The issue at trial was the assessment of damages, and the first jury awarded her $528,000.00. This amount was overturned on appeal creating a a new “Reliable Hearsay Test” in personal injury cases. The second jury awarded her only…

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ICBC Injury Claimant to Pay Double Costs after Rejecting $275,000.00 Offer to Settle

The personal injury award following a 25 day trial in this ICBC gets double costs case(Minhas v. Sartor,2014 BCSC 47) was $76,653.00, much less than the $3 million sought by the claimant and the $275,000 offered by ICBC before trial.  The judge, in one of the first times in BC legal history, has awarded ICBC…

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ICBC Injury Settlement- Explaining Costs and Disbursements

In this bus accident injury settlement, (Zhang v. Heikkila,2013 BCSC 2275) following the examinations for discovery and after three medical reports had been obtained the matter settled for $11,000.00 plus costs and disbursements. ICBC refused however to pay the cost of three medical legal reports but in this application was forced by the court to…

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ICBC Settlement not Family Asset in Divorce Proceeding

In this Personal Injury Settlement Divorce Claim case(2013 BCSC 1827) The wife  tried to claim half of the husband’s settlement from ICBC as a family asset. The husband kept his settlement from ICBC separate and did not use it for any family purpose.  He had actually placed the settlement money in a separate bank account and…

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Settlement of Personal Injury Claim- “Urgency” for MRI Costs New Test?

This was an assessment of the costs  following the settlement of personal injury litigation. The only issue was the $2,000.00 cost of an  MRI of cervical and lumbar spine done privately.(Kumanan v. Achim,2013 BCSC 1867) The injury claimant was in a motor vehicle accident  sustained soft tissue injuries.  Despite two treating doctors recommending an MRI,…

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Translator fees provided “at no cost to you” says Personal Injury Lawyer

Settled Personal Injury Case includes Cost of Mandarin Translation In this personal injury translation cost case(Jin v. Caleca,2013 BCSC 1614) settlement of the personal injury claim was reached but the defendant refused to pay the costs the personal injury lawyer had incurred in having his legal advice interpreted for the client. Having English as a…

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