Fred Winch

The applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident and received income replacement benefits (IRBs) until the insurer terminated them.

Prior to the arbitration hearing, the insurer conceded the issue and paid the IRBs retroactively.

The arbitrator held that interest on the overdue IRBs began to accrue from the date they were initially terminated, as the insurer bears the consequence of a decision not to pay benefits later found owing.

The arbitrator also awarded a special award of $36,280.00, finding the insurer acted unreasonably by ignoring the conclusions of its own medical and vocational assessors, who noted that the alternative job options proposed did not provide the same remuneration as the applicant's pre-accident employment.

The insurer was ordered to pay $25,000.00 in expenses.

The defendants brought a motion for an order compelling the plaintiff to attend an in-person vocational assessment with a non-health practitioner and to provide raw test data from previous neuropsychological assessments to the defence expert.

The plaintiff opposed the motion.

The court held that it has inherent jurisdiction to order an examination by a non-health practitioner to ensure trial fairness, and that the raw test data was relevant and necessary for the defence expert to prepare his report.

The motion was granted.

The minor plaintiff, who had a pre-existing condition making his bones prone to fracture, was injured while attempting to board a continuously moving amusement park ride.

The plaintiffs sued the amusement park operator for negligence under the Occupiers' Liability Act.

The court found the defendant breached its duty of care by failing to post warning signs, failing to provide verbal instructions that the ride did not stop, and failing to have sufficient staff present.

The court dismissed the defendant's claims of contributory negligence against the minor and his father.

Damages were awarded to the minor plaintiff and his parents, taking into account the minor's pre-existing condition under the crumbling skull rule.

The applicant sought expenses following an arbitration where she had mixed success in claiming statutory accident benefits.

The insurer argued that it enjoyed a greater degree of success and that the applicant unnecessarily prolonged the proceeding by calling six expert witnesses and being tardy in providing medical and financial records.

The arbitrator found that while the applicant's success was mixed, she was forced to proceed with the arbitration to obtain any benefits, as the insurer refused to acknowledge liability until the eve of the hearing.

The arbitrator awarded the applicant her reasonable expenses, with some reductions for unnecessary testimony and excessive preparation time, totaling $20,637.64 inclusive of fees and disbursements.

The applicant, a business owner, was injured in a motor vehicle accident and received income replacement benefits for over three years.

The insurer terminated benefits, arguing the applicant could engage in suitable employment and had returned to work.

The arbitrator found that the applicant's physical and psychological impairments, including the need for hygiene assistance, prevented him from engaging in his former employment or any suitable employment.

The arbitrator ordered the insurer to pay income replacement benefits of $400 per week, plus interest on overdue amounts.