The plaintiffs advanced Family Law Act claims for loss of care, guidance, and companionship following the death of a sibling in a motor vehicle accident.
Liability was not disputed, leaving quantum as the sole issue.
The court reviewed jurisprudence concerning the scope of compensable loss under s. 61 of the Family Law Act, emphasizing that such awards must be assessed objectively and do not compensate grief or emotional anguish.
Considering the unusually close lifelong relationship among the siblings, but distinguishing the case from those involving dependency or daily interaction, the court assessed damages for loss of companionship at $35,000 for each surviving sibling.