With the resurgence of COVID 19, the Ontario Superior Court has suspended jury selection in the “hot spots” of Toronto, Ottawa, and Brampton for one month. All settlement conferences will be conducted over Zoom. Whether to continue jury trials in progress will be decided by the trial judge. In-person non-jury trials and other in-person proceedings (including civil matters) in these
Despite Canada’s vaunted medical “safety net”, our hospital system is not very safe, and injured patients seeking redress face a years-long battle with little chance of winning. On top of that, plaintiffs – as taxpayers – often pay the defendant’s bill. Canada’s patient safety performance is below the OECD average of 37 developed countries. Canadian Institute for Health Information
We have interviewed many Ontario personal injury lawyers over the years, and there is a strong sense that auto insurance companies are increasingly likely to fight plaintiff claims. In earlier articles, we reported several factors driving this perception, including: Ontario legislative changes over the years allowed insurers to “bully” plaintiffs Adjusters used to be independent but now tend to
In recent months, Canada’s paralegals were hit by new rules from the federal government. And Ontario’s paralegals have been hit by provincial budget cuts. Bill C-75 In June, federal Bill C-75, designed to streamline and modernize the criminal justice system, received Royal Assent. The federal government is shifting some caseload away from Superior Court by increasing the maximum penalty for
On October 17, 2018, cannabis sale and use became legal across Canada in a regulated market. To prepare for this, new federal legislation passed in June 2018 to deter and detect those who drive while impaired, by alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs. There are three new offences of having prohibited blood drug concentrations within two hours of driving. There is
In our previous article, we looked at the rapid growth of After The Event (“ATE”) insurance and how it has evolved to a wide range of product offerings. When assessing ATE insurance products, there are many considerations. A good “all perils” policy should include: Cover Disbursements, Adverse costs, Arbitration costs, and Interim cost orders Give Delegated Authority to the
Nudorra Capital is promoting the use of ATE Insurance products through a strategic relationship we have with a licensed Insurance Broker. The overwhelming advantages of costs, security, and protection, for both lawyer and plaintiff, speak for themselves. The most important attribute is that insurance companies are licensed and regulated, their capital is protected, and they have decades of global experience.
Changes to ODSP are still unfolding In late November, the Ontario government announced it is changing its definition for people qualifying for disability assistance. They had already announced they were cutting the Liberals’ 3% increase in social assistance to 1.5%. Lisa MacLeod, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, said the current social assistance system puts users in a
We wrote a well-received article in 2015 about the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). The RDSP gives disabled people and their families a way to save and invest money for long-term security. To qualify, the disabled beneficiary must be: Eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC); Under age 60; and A resident of Canada with a valid social insurance
The Financial Post just reported the findings of a recent study funded by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (“Law professor questions whether contingency fees benefit clients”, Legal Post, January 18 2017). Professor Allan Hutchinson of York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School wrote A Study of the Costs of Legal Services in Personal Injury Litigation in Ontario. Professor Hutchinson acknowledged the
