Pryam Varma

Following a trial where the plaintiff's negligence action was dismissed on causation, the successful defendants sought partial indemnity costs of approximately $60,000.

The court considered the plaintiff's success on the issues of duty of care, breach, and foreseeability, which consumed significant trial time.

The court also factored in the economic disparity between the personal plaintiff and the insurer-backed defendants, who refused to mediate or make a Rule 49 offer.

After deducting the plaintiff's costs thrown away from two trial adjournments and the costs of an expert witness whose testimony would have been unnecessary had the defendants complied with statutory requirements, the court reduced the remaining costs by 50% to reflect the plaintiff's partial success on the issues.

The plaintiff was ordered to pay costs of $13,743.92.

The plaintiff was assaulted by two unknown individuals in the stairwell of a municipal parking garage.

He sued the city and its contracted security company for negligence and breach of the Occupiers' Liability Act, alleging inadequate security measures.

The court found that both defendants owed a duty of care and breached it by failing to conduct threat/risk assessments, install video cameras in stairwells, or implement adequate security patrols.

However, the action was dismissed because the plaintiff failed to prove causation; the assault lasted only 30 seconds, meaning it could not have been prevented even if proper security measures had been in place.

The insurer brought a motion for the production of the applicant's Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) record.

The applicant claimed that psychological impairments from a motor vehicle accident caused him to commit acts of domestic violence, resulting in criminal charges.

The arbitrator found that the applicant had made his criminal conduct an issue in the arbitration, making the CPIC record relevant and reasonably necessary.

The motion was granted, and the applicant was ordered to produce his CPIC record from one year prior to the accident to the present.