Minor accident - minor injury?

Photo: Thinkstock.com If you imagine being in a minor car accident you probably don’t think about getting injured. Accidents happen all the time and the good news is that in most minor accidents, people don’t get injured. However, sometimes even small collisions...

ICBC says I don’t need a lawyer

So ICBC has said: “you don’t need a lawyer” to help you with your personal injury claim. Initially it’s not a hard sell for ICBC, is it? Society has done a pretty good job of grooming you to not trust lawyers. In fact, if you Google “lawyer jokes” you will get...

ICBC ought to include a warning

I have represented several clients involved in hit and run cases and in each case I have been routinely disappointed at what I perceive to be an unfair approach taken by ICBC. As it turns out, I’m not the only one that thinks their approach is unfair. In a 2012 decision called Springer v....

Run over by a reindeer

All signs this month indicated I needed to write about deer. First, there’s a funny story out of North Dakota where a woman called into a radio station and wanted to know why the government was posting signs encouraging deer to cross the interstate. Seriously? I’m really hoping this...

The skeleton in your closet

Photo: Contributed Unless you grew-up in a bubble, chances are you have done a few things in your life that you aren’t jumping at the chance to post as your latest Facebook status. Sometimes these things are minor embarrassments (perhaps what happened in Vegas...

The good lawsuit

Would the world be a better place without lawsuits? Your initial thought is probably, “YES!” The words “good” and “lawsuit” do not go hand in hand, or so it seems. However, contrary to popular belief there are many benefits to lawsuits, besides making great...

CYA for hosting BYOB

You have just finished the big game and it’s time to sit back, relax and share some post-game highlights. You pull-up a chair next to Big Foot and grab a cold one out of the cooler (okay, minus the Big Foot/Sasquatch from the Kokanee commercials, but you get the picture). If you have...

Is it medical malpractice?

(Photo: Flickr user, 5936305758) There I was, sitting on the operating table with my legs hanging over the side and my back curved to open up my spine, just as instructed by the anesthesiologist. I was excited and nervous as I was getting ready to give birth to my son by...

Value of 'real housewives'

If you are a housewife or homemaker chances are that you are not living the extravagant lifestyle of the “Real Housewives” as depicted in the new television series, the Real Housewives of Vancouver (debuts on April 4, 2012). More than likely your family depends on you for tasks, such...

Is ICBC watching me?

ICBC has recently demonstrated that biometrics is no longer just for Hollywood types like James Bond or Mission Impossible’s, Ethan Hunt. On February 16, 2012, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia issued a 42 page report and press release regarding...

Court quashes ICBC policy

  ICBC was recently taken to task on one of its more commonly cited accident benefit policies, which is: “ICBC is not required to pay for massage therapy.” Not true, said the BC Court of Appeal on November 29, 2011 in a case called Raguin v. Insurance Corporation of British...

Too late to sue?

  Photo: Contributed   Our lives are inundated with deadlines and time limits. Some time limits make events more exciting, such as the game show Minute to Win It where contestants have a minute to do silly tasks like balance six dice on a Popsicle...

Waiver Forms - what are they?

      As a personal injury lawyer, it may come as no surprise that my friends and family joke about whether they need to sign a waiver form before entering my home. For those of you who are thinking, “Does she actually make them sign a waiver?” the answer...

Are you covered?

Photo: Contributed - (Flickr user, charliebrewer)   School’s out for summer, and that only means one thing: summer vacation! Many of us get caught up in the excitement of planning our vacation, including details like where to go, what activities to do, who...

Facts your adjuster won't reveal

If you are injured in an accident, one of the first people you will have to deal with is your friendly neighbourhood insurance adjuster (insert “It’s a Beautiful Day in Your Neighborhood” background music here). However, no matter how friendly they appear, you need to...

What is your cycle savvy?

With the warm weather upon us, the cyclists are starting to come out in full force. If you are like most people when you drive, you feel like you have to be psychic to figure out where the cyclists are coming from and going to and you get frustrated with cyclists who don’t seem...

Bully for hire?

One of my favorite movies of all time, the Karate Kid, provides a classic example of bullying. Daniel Larusso (played by Ralph Macchio) moves to a new community where he gets repeatedly bullied by a school mate, Johnny Lawrence (played by Willam Zabka). Fortunately for Daniel, his apartment...

Smart phones - dumb drivers

There are many great applications you can download for your cell phone these days but unfortunately, common sense is not one of them. Almost everyday in my travels I see people talking and texting on their phones while driving. The behavior is so common in fact that you might never know that it...

Winter tires required?

You know winter is here when the topic of conversation around the water cooler, or in my case a birthday party, is, “So… have you put your winter tires on yet?” Unfortunately, most of us procrastinate until the first major snowfall, thereby resulting in massive line ups at the tire stores....

Pedestrian vs. vehicle

Most of us learned to look both ways before crossing the street and this simple advice couldn’t have been more applicable than during my recent trip to New York. Needless to say, I was somewhat surprised at the incredible speeds, and NASCAR maneuvers used by the taxicabs down the main streets of...