Thomas Gold Pettingill LLP is pleased to provide this online resource to our clients. Below is a searchable database of key cases impacting the defence of tort personal injury files. Assembled by Sarah Jones, Natasha O'Toole, and Chris Schnarr, each case is reviewed, briefly summarized, and categorized for easy access.
The defendants brought a motion to bifurcate the determination of liability and damages, which the plaintiff opposed. The Master granted the motion, which decision was upheld by Superior Court and Divisional Court. The Court of Appeal overturned the decision, holding that the Rules did not permit a Court to bifurcate liability and damages in a...
The plaintiff was injured in an assault by two unidentified assailants in the stairwell of a municipal parking garage. The City and the security company argued that they were not liable to the plaintiff for his injuries. Justice Turnbull held that the City and the security company were not liable. He held that the City...
The plaintiff truck driver alleged that he tripped and fell on uneven ground when he attended the defendant's premises to pick up a load. He alleged to have sustained serious injuries, and brought an action for damages. He did not advise the defendant of the incident until he served his statement of claim. There were...
Under O. Reg 73/20, all limitation periods in Ontario were suspended from March 16, 2020 to September 14, 2020. The Attorney General and interveners asked the court to make a declaration of right to clarify that the six month period of the temporary suspension is not to be counted in the calculation of the limitation...
The plaintiffs in this class action are Mr. Sub franchisees. At the material time they were bound through a chain of indirect contracts to purchase meat product exclusively from the defendant Maple Leaf Foods (although there was no contractual privity between Maple Leaf and the franchisees). After a recall of Maple Leaf meat products due...
The plaintiff attended a heavy metal concert and shortly after the music started, he was found lying on the ground severely injured and surrounded by a crowd of people. The incident resulted in his quadriplegia. He sued multiple defendants, including the relevant venue and security company, for alleged negligence, occupiers' liability, and breach of the...
The plaintiff was in a motor vehicle accident while a passenger in his brother's vehicle in Alberta. The plaintiff ordinarily resided in Ontario and his brother resided in Alberta. The plaintiff commenced an action for damages arising from personal injuries in Ontario. The defendant brother brought a motion to stay the action, arguing that Ontario...
At age 14 the plaintiff was injured at a community centre operated by the City of Toronto, when a person using the telephone in a staff office broke the glass portion of the office door. The plaintiff was nearby and glass struck her, rendering her legally blind in her left eye. At trial, the judge...
The 58 year old plaintiff sued the estate of his older brother for sex abuse that occurred during childhood. The estate was noted in default. Justice Corthorn accepted that the plaintiff had proven his case and awarded general damages of $275,000.00, damages of psychotherapy of $45,000.00, and punitive damages of $25,000.00. The plaintiff had not...
The plaintiff was injured in an incident in 2010 and commenced an action for damages in 2012. The defendants filed a jury notice. But for the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial would have proceeded in October 2020. The parties were told by the Court in June 2020 that if the action proceeded by judge alone it...
The plaintiff brought a motion to strike the defendants' jury notice on the basis of the pandemic-related delay that would result in bringing the matter to trial with a jury as compared to a judge-alone trial. The Court confirmed that the trial could proceed virtually at any time if it were heard by a judge-alone,...
The plaintiff was struck by a vehicle while on a scooter. The driver of the vehicle exited and surveyed the damage, but never spoke to the plaintiff. The plaintiff's husband (who was nearby) also did not speak to the driver. A friend of the plaintiff yelled at the driver but did not engage in any...
The plaintiff was injured in a single-vehicle accident in British Columbia. At the time, he was employed by IC Asphalt, which was based in Alberta and had operations in BC and Alberta. Following the accident, the plaintiff applied for workers compensation in Alberta. He was approved for benefits and received them on an ongoing basis....
The plaintiff was injured while attempting a backflip at the defendant indoor trampoline park. He sued the facility for damages, alleging that it breached the Occupiers' Liability Act. Before using the facility's equipment, the plaintiff had signed an electronic waiver document at a computer kiosk. The plaintiff's evidence on the motion included that the defendant's...
The plaintiff homeowner brought a subrogated claim against renovators working on his neighbours home, who caused structural damage to the plaintiffs property. The plaintiff brought a motion to amend the statement of claim to substitute a 'John Doe' contractor with the correct contractor name. The motion was brought more than two years after the loss...
The Court of Appeal was asked to interpret s.7(1)(a) of the Limitations Act, 2002, which provides that a two-year limitation period does not run during any time in which the person with the claim is incapable of commencing a proceeding in respect of the claim because of his or her physical, mental or psychological condition....
The plaintiff sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident and commenced an action for damages against the driver of the vehicle in which he was a passenger at the time (among others). That driver was going through an intersection when he collided in a T-bone fashion with another defendant's vehicle, which had failed to stop...
The plaintiff discovered deficiencies in his home and sued the former homeowner/builder and the local municipality for damages arising from breach of the Ontario Building Code and negligence. The defendants crossclaimed against each other. The plaintiff obtained judgment against the defendants. Only some of the damages were subject to joint and several liability as between...
The plaintiff was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident after he and the driver of his vehicle were overserved at a wedding. The trial judge originally concluded that the OPCF-44 defendant, State Farm, was required to pay $800,000.00 (being the $1 million auto insurance limit less the $200,000.00 available from the driver). The Court...
The plaintiff commenced three actions in relation to personal injuries arising from a motor vehicle accident: (1) a tort action against the at fault driver; (2) an action against Allstate under the OPCF44; and (3) an action against his former solicitor based on the AB settlement (claiming it was too low). The defendants in all...
The plaintiff was injured in a 2013 motor vehicle accident. She alleged to have chronic pain as a result of her injuries. Following the trial, the jury awarded the plaintiff $40,000.00 in general damages. The jury did not award the plaintiff anything for her claims for lost income, loss of competitive advantage, loss of housekeeping...
