ICBC Law

Reasons for judgement were published today by the BC Supreme Court, New Westminster Registry, dealing with non-pecuniary damages (money for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life) for chronic soft tissue injuries.

In today’s case (Thauli v. Gill) the Plaintiff was injured in a 2005 motor vehicle collision.  It was a ‘t-bone’ crash.  The Plaintiff was a passenger at the time and the issue of fault was admitted by ICBC on behalf of the offending motorist.  The Plaintiff suffered a variety of soft tissue injuries which resulted in a chronic myofascial pain syndrome.  In assessing non-pecuniary damages at $50,000 Mr. Justice Crawford provided the following reasons:

[35] Pain is doubtless one of the discussion footballs in medical science.  It is subjective.  Many of us have seen people receive devastating injuries, bear with them stoically and sometimes recover in very short time.  We see the professional footballer or hockey player do that on a regular basis, but many cannot.  Many are built differently and respond differently to different injuries.  Dr. Sidhu said that he expected Ms. Kalsi, given her lifestyle, to have largely recovered in six or eight weeks from the car accident.  And as I noted, Dr. Chu said in his evidence perhaps the neural pathways are somehow compromised in some people and continue to send messages of pain to the head, and in fact the soft tissues are already recovered.

[36] In any event, I found Ms. Kalsi an honest and straightforward young lady.  The evidence of the witnesses recorded in consistent fashion how busy, vivacious and outgoing she was prior to the accident, how there had been a continuing complaint of pain to her upper left back area, as vague as that might be, and that had continued to be of a consistent concern to her and to her doctors…

[38] I am satisfied the plaintiff was injured in the car accident in May of 2005.  The injuries to her knee, neck and left upper back are consistent with being thrown over the restraining seat belt and extending the soft tissues in her upper back and neck on the left side.  It is likely those injured areas of her body have recovered.  It is also likely her ongoing complaints of pain in turn caused the depression, but that was well treated in 2007.

[39] Medically the pain is chronic and the symptoms have been collated under the heading myofascial pain.  That is real to Ms. Kalsi.  It is, on her own word to her doctors, largely moderated in 2007 and in my view there is a fair chance it will continue to improve, if not wholly, at least be well within her control.

[40] In sum, then, I award general damages at $50,000.

Reasons for judgement were released this week by the BC Supreme Court, New Westminster Registry, (Bove v. Lauritzen) awarding a Plaintiff just over $180,000 in total damages as a result of a 2006 BC Car Crash.

Liability was admitted by the Defendant in the lawsuit leaving the Court to deal with only the issue of damages.

Madam Justice Gray accepted the opinion evidence of Dr. Hunt, an expert in the field of “emergency medicine and pain medicine” in its in entirety.  Most of Dr. Hunt’s opinion is reproduced at paragraph 42 the highlights of which are as follows:

Medical Diagnosis

1.         Chronic myofascial pain involving the right SI joint and right buttock with referred pain to the right hip.

2.         Chronic myofascial pain right inguinal region.

3.         Chronic myofascial pain right shoulder girdle.

4.         Mechanical low back pain of a posterior element pattern localizing to the right L5/S1 facet joint region.

5.         Mood disorder (mild) and sleep disorder (moderate) secondary to chronic pain condition.

6.         Left trochanteric bursitis (mild).

MEDICAL VOCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1.         Restrictions with respect to her lower back and right buttock with referred pain.

(a)        She must avoid all repetitive bending, twisting, stooping and moving in and out of awkward positions.

(b)        She must work only in the sedentary category.

(c)        She must avoid all prolonged sitting with no periods greater than 20 min or prolonged standing with periods no greater than 10 min or prolonged walking greater than 20 min.

(d)        She must be able to stand, sit and move at will.

(e)        She must avoid all lifting greater than 5 lbs and must keep the weight that she is lifting close to her body and avoid carrying it for any distance.

(f)        Materials handling or activity is best done between mid chest and waist.

(g)        She must avoid activities which involve extension of the spine.

(h)        She must avoid walking repetitive flights of stairs or inclines.

2.         Restrictions with respect to her mid thoracic spine and right shoulder girdles include:

(a)        Avoid prolonged static positions of the neck and thoracic spine such as leaning forward.

(b)        All activities with regards to the upper limb should be done below mid chest and she should avoid any repetitive reaching, pushing or pulling activities of the right upper limb.

When she is capable of attempting to return to a productive life, it will need to be on a very paced graduated return to work basis; it should take place over approximately two months and should be supervised by an occupational therapist and/or vocational counselor.

In assessing the Plaintiff’s non-pecuniary damages at $70,000 Madam Justice Gray provided the following summary of the Plaintiff’s accident related injuries:

[45]        In summary, I find that the January 24, 2006 accident caused Ms. Bove moderate to severe chronic myofascial pain in her right buttock and lower lumbar region with symptoms reaching into the right hip and right inguinal region, and chronic myofascial pain in her right shoulder girdle, mechanical low back pain, mild mood and sleep disorder, and mild left trochanteric bursitis. It is likely that the bursitis will resolve fully. It is likely that the other problems will be ongoing, although there may be improvement in the low back pain and sleep disorder.

[46]        Ms. Bove’s need for frequent changes of position, and the other restrictions described by Dr. Hunt, make it unlikely that Ms. Bove can be competitively employable…

54] Ms. Bove is entitled to $70,000 for non-pecuniary damages arising from the January 24, 2006 accident