Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) is often hotly contested by ICBC and other insurance companies after a car accident. In this case the judge accepted the diagnosis. She had the benefit of hearing from two neurologists who had conflicting opinions on whether or not the claimant suffered a MTBI. The defence neurology expert, Dr. Rehan Dost, was…
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…
Although the claimant’s injuries were exacerbated as a result of chiropractic treatment this did not break the chain of causation. “The chain of causation will be broken where an intervening event, rather than the defendants’ conduct, is considered the proximate or legal cause of the subsequent injury. This principle, known as novus actus interveniens, recognizes that defendants…
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) can be difficult to diagnose after car accident. The Insurance Corporation of BC generally refuses to accept the existence of a MTBI and will fight these claims to the end. In this case ICBC hired Dr. Rehan Dost, Neurology. Dr. Dost was eager to assist the court in assessing the credibility of the claimant…
This personal injury claimant was involved in a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Westminster Highway and No. 5 Road in Richmond, British Columbia and suffered some level of neck, back, shoulder, and arm pain for more than three-and-a-half years. Despite her age and injury she was able to return to work on a full-time basis, for nearly…
ICBC is now forced to pay double costs on behalf of their insured after failing to accept several reasonable offers to settle this personal injury claim. ICBC’s unreasonable conduct forced this claimant to pursue this car accident litigation for over 10 years to obtain an award of over $700,000.00 from the court for soft tissue injuries to her…
The purpose of an award for pain and suffering, called “non-pecuniary damages”, is to provide money compensation that ameliorates the condition of an injured claimant. In making such an award, the following factors are relevant: age of the claimant; nature of the injury;severity and duration of pain; disability; emotional suffering; loss or impairment of life; impairment of family, marital and social…
The claimant slipped on a wet floor in the bathroom of the Nanaimo Burger King restaurant and injured his right shoulder and right knee. Buinesses are supposed to have a system in place for maintaining safety but the Court found no evidence that such system was in place (Scarfe v. Fernco Developments Ltd., 2015 BCSC 2310). In…
The Court Appeal has made it clear in this personal injury case that an award for loss of future earning capacity reflects the exercise of judgment framed by clearly articulated factual findings. To require the trial judge to say more than he did in this case would be to impose an impossible burden on trial judges (Fadai…
In a dramatic admission of medical illiteracy the Court of Appeal conceded that absent expert medical opinion evidence, a judge is not qualified to say what is, or is not, an illness (Saadati v. Moorhead,2015 BCCA 393). The trial judge refused to accept the claimant had suffered a brain injury but found that he had…