Posted by Editor | Posted in Personal Injury News
At The Injury Blog, we usually talk about personal injury cases and news in the United States but a recent Ontario car accident settlement is certainly worth talking about! The Ontario Superior Court recently awarded two men a combined $24 million for damages they suffered during a car accident in 2003, according to a story in the Law Times.
Plaintiffs Derek Gordon and Ryan Morrison were passengers in a leased car driven by defendant Cory Greig when they were involved in a single-car collision. The accident caused Morrison to suffer a severe spinal injury and Gordon to sustain serious brain injuries. In the case Gordon v. Greig, an Ontario Justice awarded both men the combined $24 million for their loss of past and future income, costs of attendant and future care, and “general and special damages minus a deduction of contributory negligence.”
Specifically, Morrison was awarded $12.5 million for his spinal cord injury and Gordon was given $11.5 million for his brain injuries. According to the plaintiff’s personal injury attorney, the $12.5 million given to Gordon marks the largest Canadian award for a spinal cord injury. Gordon’s $11.5 million is believed to be one of the largest awards ever given to a brain-injured adult. The families of both men were also granted family law awards. According to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, the leasing company and not Greig is responsible for paying the $24 million because it owned the vehicle.
Of other interest, this type of large award may become less common in Ontario according to some personal injury attorneys citing a recent law limiting the amount of money that leasing companies would have to pay for liable injuries. On March 1, 2006, the Ontario government passed an amendment to the Insurance Act which limits leasing company liability to $1 million.
Question - A commercial truck rear-end my car. I suffered permenant damage to my neck which required surgery. I could no longer work as a nurse and was forced to retire from my job. As part of my settlement, can my lifetime earnings be included in my settlement and training for a new occupation. My attorney is telling me no but I totally disagree.
I agree with victoria i rolled over there tryin to pay 50 000 i need need a couple pins in my back redicoulous the insurance act and now im acting on my own behalf in trial because of the same ridiculous lawyer information and apparent laws in ontario and we pay the highest rate in CANADA.