Author Archives: Admin2

Judge sees his recommendations cherry-picked re auto insurance

Justice Cunningham is himself now wary of his February 2014 recommendation that the province appoint a “public sector administrative tribunal” for SABS disputes and get rid of the court option for MVA victims. He now acknowledges that  few of the LAT adjudicators actually have experience resolving AB disputes, saying “Clearly many of my recommendations were not adopted.” “There was a lot of cherry picking that went on here.” WHY IS HE SURPRISED? As an accident victim I certainly am not. And herein lies the problem.

http://deniedbenefitclaims.com /blog.html

Shop Insurance Canada : Ontario rate hike could mean “back to square one”

Shop Insurance Canada has criticised the price hike in Ontario auto rates, describing it as a “blow to the province’s quest to lower premium rates,” which will mean increased costs for consumers.

http://www.insurancebusiness.c a/ca/news/breaking-news/shop-i nsurance-canada-ontario-rate-h ike-could-mean-back-to-square- one-216595.aspx

When does Interest Start in Delayed CAT Benefit Disputes?

The Court of Appeal recently considered the issue of when interest starts to accrue under the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule  in situations where there is a disputed catastrophic impairment designation (“CAT”).  In Van Galder v Economicalthe insurer paid attendant care benefits and housekeeping/home maintenance benefits until the two year mark and stopped at that time based on the fact that the claimant was not catastrophically impaired.

http://www.millerthomson.com/e n/blog/mt-insurance-law-blog/w hen-does-interest-start-in-del ayed-cat-benefit-disputes/

Fibromyaligia, Depression & Chronic Pain in a personal injury case (Ontario)

Many of our clients suffer from fibromyalgia, depression and chronic pain. These injuries arise and present themselves in a wide variety of ways. Each case is fact specific. We never know how these injuries will present themselves or manifest.

Our lawyers see fibromyaligia, depression and chronic pain in the context of car accidents, long term disability (LTD) claims, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall cases and assault claims.

http://www.torontoinjurylawyer blog.com/2016/11/ fibromyaligia-depression- chronic-pain-personal-injury- case-ontario.html

Scrutiny of opioid prescriptions bad news for patients in pain, doctor warns

Dr. Ellen Thompson says a rising number of misconduct investigations by the College of Physician and Surgeons of Ontario into doctors who may be over-prescribing opioid medications such as morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl will discourage doctors from prescribing the painkillers even in cases where they are beneficial.

http://ottawacitizen.com/story line/scrutiny-of-opioid-prescr iptions-bad-news-for-patients- in-pain-doctor-warns

If only medical system treated humans as well as dogs

TORONTO – On Halloween Monday my eldest dachsie, 11-year-old Kishka, went under the expert knife of Dr. Wilma DeGraaf at Secord Animal Hospital.

Four hours under anesthetic and 11 teeth fewer later, Kishka was released with two pages of instructions on how to tend to him, two different painkillers (one the doggy version of Percocet) and — drum roll here — antibiotics.

http://www.torontosun.com/2016 /11/03/if-only-medical-system- treated-humans-as-well-as-dogs

Provincial adviser proposes basic income of least $1,320

In a discussion paper released Thursday, Ontario’s special adviser on basic income suggests topping up incomes of the working poor and replacing the province’s meagre and rule-bound social assistance program with a monthly payment of at least $1,320 for a single person, or about 75 per cent of the poverty line.

https://www.thestar.com/news/c anada/2016/11/03/proposed-basi c-income-pilot-would-provide- monthly-payments-of-least- 1320.html

New Ontario auto dispute resolution system could cause ‘a lot more claims against insurance brokers,’ personal injury lawyer predicts

Recent reforms to Ontario auto insurance, including the transfer of accident benefits dispute arbitration to the licence appeal tribunal (LAT), has some personal injury lawyers warning of lawsuits against brokers who fail to advise clients accordingly.

‘Lots of room for improvement’ with new Ontario auto dispute resolution system: Judge Cunningham

Ontario’s license appeal tribunal – which this year started hearing auto accident benefits disputes – presents “an opportunity” for auto insurers to “redefine how they provide their services,” an insurance company lawyer said Wednesday, while the retired judge who recommended changing the dispute resolution system told the audience of a panel discussion there is “lots of room for improvement” at LAT.

http://www.canadianunderwriter .ca/insurance/lots-room-improv ement-new-ontario-auto-dispute -resolution-system-judge- cunningham-1004102925/

Injured workers confront WSIB

A chance to hear directly from the President of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Tom Teahan.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ ottawa/programs/ontariotoday/i njured-workers-confront-wsib-1 .3832957