$135,000 Pain and Suffering Award for Somatic Symptom Disorder with Chronic Pain

This whiplash injury claimant was injured at a deli in Langley, British Columbia and claims damages for pain and suffering; Past loss of earning capacity; Loss of future earning capacity; Cost of future care; and Special damages She was a customer standing in the store when a vehicle crashed into it. The claimant was pushed into the wall of the deli,…

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Injury Victim Failed to to Use Antidepressant Medication and Loses 50% of Claim

In an understated but significant reduction in the injury award Judge Verhoeven made the following comment about the failure to use antidepressant medication, In this modern age such treatment does not have the stigma it once did, and I find that her refusal to take treatment is unreasonable and the defendant should not have to…

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Egg Shell Personality Psychiatric Injury Claims

When it comes to psychological injury and psychiatric injury claims after a car accident a vulnerability to injury is not required if the emotional injury is proven as being caused by the collision. However, alternative but equally acceptable is the “egg shell personality” approach for individuals that may have suffered from prior psychological conditions in remission. One…

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How Much is Your Chronic Pain Case Worth- ICBC Feeling the Pinch

ICBC is the auto monopoly defending most personal injury claims in British Columbia. In the last 6 years ICBC has refused to settle legitimate personal injury claims making very low offers, slogging through and clogging the courts.  ICBC is causing intense aggravation of pain and suffering to victims of personal injury.Some may be convinced the recent crisis within…

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How Much My ICBC Claim is Worth- Updating Factors for Valuation

The factors to be considered when valuing a personal injury claim with ICBC or other insurance companies will change according to the stage of  your case. Some of the factors that may be important early on, such as claim reporting and notification, will give way to symptom documentation and medical diagnosis. Beware of the ICBC…

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$740,000 Award in Low Velocity Injury Case and Dr. Koch Discredited

This personal injury claimant was awarded over $700,000 after ICBC failed to take her injuries seriously following six “minimal damage”, also called by ICBC “low velocity”, motor vehicle accidents. ICBC relied on Dr. William Koch, a registered psychologist in B.C. to argue that the claimant had pre-existing psychological disorders not related to the car accidents. Dr. Koch…

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$115,000 Pain and Suffering Award for Soft Tissue Injury and Chronic Pain

Another walloping to the auto insurer ICBC as they seem to continually refuse to make reasonable offers of settlement. The Court has awarded $411,158.00 after a 2 week trial in Vancouver to a  claimant involved in a motor vehicle accident while driving on Highway 1 near Kamloops, B.C. (Biefeld v. Neetz,2016 BCSC 689). As a result…

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$170,000 Pain and Suffering Award for Depression and Chronic Pain

This injury claimant was awarded almost $1 million after suffering chronic pain injuries from a car accident. The accident occurred at the intersection of Fraser Street and 41st Avenue in Vancouver. The claimant’s vehicle was in the dedicated left turn lane and the defendant, intending to drive to the front of the left turn lane to…

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ICBC Still not Making Reasonable Offers to Settle

ICBC still is unable to make reasonable offers to settle in many personal injury cases despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars updating their computer systems and firing over 250 mostly managers. The promise of “firm but fair” offer seems to have turned to “firmly unfair” thanks to ICBC. In the most recent case of Sebaa…

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Personal Injury Claimant Trumps Medical Expert Testimony

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…

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