$25,000 Non-Pecuniary Damages For Largely Recovered Soft Tissue Injuries

Reasons for judgement were released last week by the BC Supreme, Vancouver Registry, assessing damages for largely recovered soft tissue injuries.
In last week’s case (Hussain v. Cho) the Plaintiff was injured in a 2008 rear-end collision.  Fault was admitted by the rear motorist.  The collision caused soft tissue injuries to the Plaintiff’s neck and upper back muscles (specifically the left erector spinae and thoracic paraspinal muscles).

These injuries kept the Plaintiff off work for 6 weeks.  The injuries largely recovered in the first year following the crash but continued to cause some minimal albeit improving symptoms at the time of trial.  In assessing non-pecuniary damages at $25,000 Mr. Justice Jenkins provided the following reasons:
[21] Based on the above and all of the evidence, I find Ms. Hussain’s injuries arising from the motor vehicle accident of August 24, 2008 consisted of soft tissue injuries to the left erector spinae and thoracic paraspinals evidenced by pain in her mid and lower back, shoulder and neck and as well as headaches. Although Dr. Menzies did state that Ms. Hussain was “probably substantially recovered” from the injuries caused by that motor vehicle accident within one year, she did continue to suffer some pain and headaches for more than a year after the accident. Also, Ms. Hussain’s injuries from the February 2011 “slip and fall” were a “little” worse due to the injuries suffered August 24, 2008…
[26] Considering all of the above findings and authorities, I find the plaintiff to be entitled to a total of $25,000 in non-pecuniary damages which includes $5,000 for diminishment of homemaking capacity. Homemaking was a very significant activity for Ms. Hussain before the accident and it is clear that she struggled at that activity for some time thereafter.