Tag Archives: vancouver

ICBC Appeals Large Punitive Damage Award.

  http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/ca/16/01/2016BCCA0178.htm As covered in a previous article, the Supreme Court of British Columbia awarded a $350,000 punitive damage award against ICBC. The courts used various adjectives to describe the conduct of ICBC and its employees, including:  highhanded, reprehensible, and malicious. The courts found that the behaviour of ICBC was heavy-handed, and they had attempted to […]

Estimating wage losses in personal injury cases: what are contingencies?

  When estimating both past and future wage loss, the courts must take into account all positive and negative contingencies. In this context, a positive contingency is a likely event that will have a positive effect on earnings. A negative contingency is a likely event that will have a negative effect on earnings. For example, […]

Daughter starts personal injury claim against mother. Mother is in no way affected.

  I once started a claim for a daughter who had been injured while riding as a passenger in a vehicle driven by her mother. The mother had proper insurance through ICBC, and the daughter’s injuries were long term but not totally disabling. This motor vehicle accident had occurred approximately 2 years ago. Thankfully, the daughter […]

ICBC Claims and Childcare Costs

  In a recent Supreme Court of British Columbia decision, the courts confirmed that Child Care Costs could be claimed and are separate from claims for Loss of Housekeeping Capacity: http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/sc/16/02/2016BCSC0265.htm The plaintiff in this case was a young woman who shared childcare duties with her former partner. She was injured in two separate motor vehicle accidents. […]

Self-Driving Cars: A Reality in Vancouver?

  Vancouver City (the “City”) Councillor Geoff Meggs plans to table a council meeting motion this Tuesday to have the City investigate putting self-driving cars onto Vancouver roads: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2016/02/18/speed-up-on-driverless-cars-meggs However, the Province of British Columbia (the “Province”) Transportation Minister Todd Stone has stated that the City does not have jurisdiction to create a pilot project to test self-driving cars: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/driverless-cars-bc-vancouver-1.3454762 In […]

The Transportation Minister of British Columbia refuses to change legislation to allow operation of Uber in Vancouver: states legislation already allows ride sharing services to operate?

  In a strange turn of events, the Transportation Minister of British Columbia, Mr. Todd Stone, has stated that he will not be making any changes to the legislation concerning the potential licensing of ride sharing services, such as Uber. Mr. Stone has stated that, within a “matter of time”, he expects Uber to be […]

ICBC rate increases: the real culprit?

  The typical insurance model is to collect premiums from insurance payers (A.K.A. insurees) and then invest those premiums. The profits from those investments are largely what is used to pay out insurance claims. In most jurisdictions, the residents have a variety of insurance companies to choose from. Theoretically, a competitive market ensures that insurees […]

Part 7 benefits and pre-existing injuries.

  Part 7 benefits, also known as “No Fault” benefits, are benefits owed to parties injured in motor vehicle accidents in British Columbia. These benefits are payable regardless of who is at fault for a car accident, hence the moniker “No Fault” benefits. These benefits will cover a portion or all of various treatment expenses. […]

Future Costs of Care

  Care costs can be one of the biggest financial worries to an injured party. The cost of even simple treatments, such as physiotherapy and massage therapy, has increased dramatically. These costs can be especially burdensome to someone who is limited in their ability to earn income. For someone with a long-term or permanent injury these […]