The defendant and statutory third party brought a motion to compel the plaintiffs to attend in-person defence medical examinations, including physiatry assessments for both plaintiffs and a psychiatric assessment for one plaintiff, after the action had been set down for trial.
The court granted leave under Rule 48.04(1), finding that the plaintiffs' late delivery of numerous expert reports and medical records demonstrating a significant and unexpected deterioration in their conditions constituted a substantial change in circumstances.
The court ordered the plaintiffs to attend the requested examinations to ensure trial fairness and allow the defendants an adequate opportunity to meet the plaintiffs' case.