March 7, 2022

Flurries with a Chance of Slip and Falls: Best Practices...

The presence of ice during the winter in New Brunswick is not unusual. Neither are slip and falls. Every year, business owners run the risk that an individual might slip and fall on their property, suffer an injury, and bring a legal action against them, as the owner of the property, for damages. These damages […]

February 6, 2020

Employment & Labour – Top Ten Cases of 2019

2019 brought several notable cases impacting employment and labour law. We have put together a brief summary of 10 Canadian decisions we believe employers should be aware of as we head into 2020. 1. Ruston v Keddco MFG (2011) Ltd, 2019 ONCA 125 Ontario Court of Appeal provides an important lesson that overly aggressive tactics […]

Signing your Name on the Dotted Line is Not Always...

The termination of a long-term employee without cause can result in a significant liability for an employer. Employers can reduce their liability by having a signed employment contract that limits the amount of notice, or pay in lieu, an employee is entitled to in the event of a termination without cause. However, a signed employment […]

April 9, 2019

New Brunswick Court of Appeal Rejects Loss of Inheritance Claim...

Written by David G. O’Brien, KC. The recent decision of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal in Higgins v. Arseneau, 2019 NBCA 21, will be of interest for anyone involved with fatality claims in New Brunswick. The Court upheld the trial decision dismissing a claim brought on behalf of siblings for loss of inheritance arising […]

April 2, 2019

Court Denies Plaintiff’s Application for an Advance or Periodic Payment

In White v. Meiting,1 the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador denied a plaintiff’s application for an advance or periodic payment. In doing so, the court clarified the criteria which must be satisfied by a plaintiff who seeks an advance payment of special damages pursuant to Rule 44A of the Rules of the Supreme Court, […]

March 15, 2019

To Order an Advance Payment to a PEI Motor Vehicle...

In Fraser v. Runighan 2018 PESC 261, Chief Justice T. L. Clements of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island considered, for the first time on PEI, a motor vehicle accident plaintiff’s motion2 for an advance payment under Rules 20.10 – 20.12 (now Rule 22.1) of PEI’s Rules of Civil Procedure. Background Pursuant to Rule […]

The Importance of Plaintiff Credibility in Determining Causation

A recent Nova Scotia Supreme Court case, Gale v Purcell, 2018 NSSC 319, demonstrates how the credibility of a plaintiff can play a central role in assessing causation in a motor vehicle accident. Background On September 19, 2006, the Plaintiff, Angela Marie Gale (“Gale”) sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident (“2006 MVA”). On March […]

New Brunswick Update: Notice Now Required to Sue a Municipality

On January 1, 2018, the Province of New Brunswick repealed the Municipalities Act and replaced it with the Local Governance Act.

Mitigation, Credibility and Deductions: A Case Comment on Ryan v....

In Ryan v. Curlew, 2018 NLSC 72, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador assessed damages in the context of a personal injury claim.

May 25, 2018

“Irreconcilable incongruity” in Plaintiff’s reporting disallows claim for loss of...

In Bent v. MacFarlane, contradictions in Bent’s self-reporting and her lack of attempt to seek a medical resolution to an alleged chronic pain syndrome proved extremely limiting to her claim for damages.