ICBC’s practice of hiring private investigators to investigate claimants before trial is common. It is one of the ways ICBC protects itself from fraudulent claims. Such fraudulent claims can increase everyone’s insurance premiums. However, such investigative reports can also hurt legitimate claimants in the courtroom. Should the claimant testify that his life has been ruined…
Most cases settle before they ever get to trial and there are good reasons why. This article will discuss some of the reasons why many personal injury cases settle in B.C. The foremost reason is certainty. If you are a plaintiff and settle, you know exactly how much money you will receive. If you are…
In the spirit of The 12 Days of Christmas, I decided to write The 12 Days After Your Accident to provide a guide for what you need to know after your accident. The 12 days are used metaphorically and the timing, order and steps after your accident may differ. On the 1st day, do you…
How often are you confronted by someone you know, who asks to borrow your vehicle? How often are you asked to take someone you know to one place or another and you say…. “here take my car/truck”…and hand them the keys. Have you heard of Don’t Ask…Don’t Tell? Has it ever occurred to you that…
A relatively recent and developing area of personal injury law involves injuries from toxic substances – such as mould in apartment or office buildings, food toxins, pharmaceutical products, and pesticides or other industrial chemicals. Although claims for illness from these substances are often difficult to prove, they can have widespread implications for employers, landlords, food…
When is your private life yours to hold tight, or let go…or in some situations have it grabbed from you? We all like to think that our private life is private, but this is no longer true, particularly in the context of a personal injury action. A number of years ago, when I was defence…
I ran a case this fall where I was representing the defendant in a motor vehicle accident. In that case (Engqvist v. Doyle et al), Justice Rogers addressed whether future care damages could be awarded for health care items that are publicly available but which are more swiftly available through private options. Ultimately, Mr. Justice […]
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? Well, not always – and a Kelowna-area woman found that out the hard way. What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas? While vacationing with her family in Las Vegas, Palm Springs and the Caribbean, a number of photos were taken of the young lady engaging in the type […]
Every year in B.C. approximately 45,000 people make a claim with I.C.B.C. for loss or injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident. Unfortunately, many people who visit an I.C.B.C. claims centre to seek injury compensation for their loss do not fully understand the law. They find the claims process a source of both confusion and…
