For some time I have been troubled by the potential conflict of interest that hours-based billing causes between the lawyer and the client. The more I focus on it, the more profound the problem appears.
Latest News Articles
FAIR does not accept responsibility for comments, opinions, statistical information etc. associated with the links listed below. Any opinions, points of view, etc. are not necessarily shared by FAIR.
For a complete list of recent articles, please go to our 'Media Articles' page under 'In the News'.
We are updating our site and we appreciate your patience.
Spot Staged Collisions With Help Of SafetyMobile App
The IBC proudly threw its support behind Fraud Prevention Month, an awareness campaign to inform Canadians about the very real dangers of fraud. Financial fraud comes in a variety of ways; from identity theft and the various meanings of that term which fall under that umbrella, to insurance fraud.
http://www.lowestrates.ca/news/spot-staged-collisions-help-safetymobile-app-1605
White lies are being told by clients: poll
According to Anne Marie Thomas of Insurance Hotline, small lies consumers tell when applying for insurance falsely inflate the cost for everyone. In fact, roughly 15 per cent of people’s insurance premiums go toward covering false claims.
http://www.insurancebusiness.ca/news/white-lies-are-being-told-by-clients-poll-189171.aspx
Ontario appeal court rules in favour of The Dominion in disputed auto insurance claim
The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently ruled in favour of the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, in a lawsuit over a disputed auto insurance claim, which The Dominion said was barred by a two year limitation period but which the claimant alleged was handled in bad faith.
Reform done right: In praise of Nova Scotia auto insurance
Nova Scotia boasts one of Canada’s most-effective auto insurance systems. Premiums are among the lowest in the country, with the average policy cost sitting around $780 a year. Compare that to Ontario, where drivers pay about twice that amount.
Legal pains: The cost of justice includes physical health
An awful lot of Canadians are literally sick of their legal problems and that’s having an impact on health care costs, according to new findings of a study by the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice.
Almost 40 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 35 reported experiencing a physical health problem as a direct result of their legal problems. The number is even greater for people between 55 and 64 at 61.5 per cent.
http://www.cfcj-fcjc.org/sites/default/files//CostofJustice_overivewfactsheet%20.pdf
Insurance bureau working for better system
The problem with the Ontario auto insurance system, however, is not who is delivering it but the system itself. All drivers, including those who have never been in a collision, pay for rich and often unnecessary benefits. These high premiums line the pockets of those in the “car accident business” like tow truck drivers, lawyers and auto repair shops. These players drain much-needed resources and, in some cases, defraud the system by staging collisions, falsifying medical claims and exaggerating auto body repair costs.
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5475887-insurance-bureau-working-for-better-system/
Impact of Litigation on Your Client’s Health
Despite the interdisciplinary nature of law, lawyers rarely turn to medicine to look for the intersection between the two fields.
8 Year Old Too Young To Be Examined for Discovery
[41] Respectfully, I struggle to see how this can be so. This is not a case where the defendants may be surprised by Jorin’s evidence at trial. Jorin will not be present at the trial. Instead, the whole of Jorin’s case will be established by expert evidence, of which the defendants will have ample notice, and through other witnesses. The defendants can examine Jorin’s father and his grandmother (Jorin’s litigation guardian). They can interview his teachers and his special-needs assistants. In earlier applications, it became clear that Jorin, who requires full-time supervision, has had a series of caregivers. These sources are likely to be far more fruitful and reliable than the examination for discovery of an infant who, there is reason to believe, without deciding that it is so, struggles with comprehension, attention and language difficulties.
William Teggart: Protect Yourself for Upcoming ‘Trauma Season’
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – March 12, 2015) – When Ontarians think of terrible driving conditions, car accidents and bad visibility, winter is usually the season that comes to mind, yet the most severe accident-related injuries occur during the summer months. Emergency personnel have come to label this three month period that follows spring as “trauma season”.