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Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly Friday meeting, Michael Kryworuk discussed the Superior Court’s decision in Beazley v. Johnston et al., 2022 ONSC 1739. History of the Litigation This interim ruling in a series of summary judgment motions considered whether the self-represented plaintiff, Mr. Cary Beazley, met the threshold requirement for qualification asRead More

Adjournment of Trial Due to Summary Judgment Motion Denied

In Atsaidis v. Sanford, 2022 ONSC 1690, the defendant raised a limitations defence in a personal injury action arising from an incident in 2013. In November 2020, a trial date of June 2022 was scheduled. Subsequently, in March 2022, the parties, on consent, sought to adjourn the pre-trial conference andRead More

Golf Club Neighbours Miss their Shot at Injunction

By Emily Vereshchak Overview In Horan v. Marlwood Golf and Country Club, 2022 ONSC 1806 (CanLII), the plaintiffs commenced an action against the defendants seeking damages as a result of golf balls that were landing on their property from the defendants’ neighbouring golf course. The plaintiffs then brought a motionRead More

Changes to Rules of Civil Procedure on Confirming Motions and Applications

A new regulation to amend the Rules of Civil Procedure comes into force on April 23, 2022. The main change is that motion and application confirmation forms will have to be submitted by moving parties and applicants five days prior to the hearing date, instead of three days. If respondingRead More

Court of Appeal to Resume In-Person Hearings

The Ontario Court of Appeal has advised that it will resume hearing appeals and panel motions in person on April 4, 2022. Single motions, purge court, and status court will continue to be heard remotely until further notice. An announcement from the Court of Appeal indicates: “In-person attendance is ordinarilyRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly meeting, Pip Swartz discussed the recent decision of the Divisional Court in Dunbar et al v. Ontario Gaming West GTA Limited Partnership, 2022 ONSC 1096, regarding the applicable rules for a casino game. Summary The underlying action in Dunbar et al v. Ontario Gaming West GTA LimitedRead More

New Superior Court Guidelines on Mode of Proceedings

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has issued guidelines on the mode of proceedings, which take effect on April 19, 2022.  The guidelines set out the default position of the Court on whether a matter should proceed in person, virtually, or in writing. The following events will proceed virtually (byRead More

Medical Negligence, Misnomer, and Discoverability

By Erin Crochetiere The action in Spry v. Southlake Regional Health Centre et al., 2022 ONSC 1783 involved a claim for medical negligence following the plaintiff’s attendance at the emergency room at Southlake Regional Health Centre (“Southlake”) on February 16, 2018. The plaintiff commenced an action against Southlake, Peter Ko,Read More

Stephen Ross and Natalia Sheikh Involved in Law Society Torts Conference

Stephen Ross will be speaking at the upcoming Law Society of Ontario conference, “Substantive Law for Litigators: Torts“. Stephen’s topic is Municipal and Government Liability. The conference will be held online on March 30, 2022. Natalia Sheikh has co-authored a paper with Stephen for the conference. The other topics atRead More

Kevin Adams Speaking at Osgoode Certificate Program

Kevin Adams will be involved in the Osgoode certificate program on “Motor Vehicle Accident Law and Practice: Tort and Accident Benefits“. The program covers numerous topics related to motor vehicle accident claims and is being held over five days, starting on April 5, 2022. Kevin will be presenting on LossRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly meeting, Annie Levanaj discussed the recent decision on the Court of Appeal in Hunter v. King 2022 ONCA 190. This decision arose from a motor vehicle accident that occurred on March 14, 2012. The plaintiff, Andrew Hunter, was struck from behind by the defendant, Elvira King’s vehicleRead More

Court Dismisses Summary Judgment Motion Due to Delay in Bringing Motion

In Doef v. Hockey Canada et al, 2022 ONSC 1411, one of the issues was the timing of a summary judgment motion. The plaintiff sustained a spinal injury while playing in a hockey tournament. He made an insurance claim. There was a dispute over whether the plaintiff met the criteria in theRead More

New Light for the Tort of False Light? British Columbia Supreme Court Recognizes False Light as Potentially Tenable Privacy Claim

By Christopher MacDonald On February 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of British Columbia recognized the tort of false light as a potentially legally tenable claim for the first time in the decision of Durkin v. Marlan, 2022 BCSC 193. As discussed below, the Durkin decision shows that the trend acrossRead More

Court Denies Conditional Striking of Jury Notice in Claim Involving Municipality

The decision in Dhaliwal et al. v. Gill et al., 2022 ONSC 1445, arises out of a motor vehicle accident. A municipality was named as a defendant and a third party. One of the defendant drivers, Gill, entered a jury notice. Section 108(2)(1)(xii) of the Courts of Justice Act prohibitsRead More

Stephen Ross Recognized as Leading Lawyer in Lexpert

Stephen Ross has been recognized by his peers for inclusion in the 2022 Canadian Lexpert Directory. The identification of leading practitioners for the Lexpert Directory is based on a comprehensive annual survey. The lawyers named in the Lexpert Directory are acknowledged as leaders in their respective fields, prominent in theirRead More

Fridays With Rogers Partners

At our weekly meeting today, Michael Kryworuk discussed the Court of Appeal’s decision in Continental Casualty Company v. Chubb Insurance Company of Canada, 2022 ONCA 188. The appeal involved a priority dispute between insurers regarding Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) coverage, where the claimant had basic mandatory SABS coverage underRead More

Court Extends Time Limit for Discovery in Simplified Procedure Action

In a previous blog post, we discussed a decision in which Associate Justice Jolley held that the court does not have discretion to extend the three hour time limit for examinations for discovery in Simplified Procedure actions. More recently, in Blue v. Metro Ontario Inc., 2022 ONSC 1283, Associate JusticeRead More

The Court of Appeal of Ontario Affirms the Exclusive Jurisdiction of the License Appeal Tribunal over Statutory Accident Benefits Disputes

By Athina Ionita The Court of Appeal in Yang v. Co-operators General Insurance Company, 2022 ONCA 178,confirmed the exclusive jurisdiction of the License Appeal Tribunal (LAT) over disputes concerning Statutory Accident Benefits (SABs). The decision underlying the appeal concerned a motor vehicle accident, where the plaintiff claimed damages in theRead More

Happy International Women’s Day

Today we come together to celebrate International Women’s Day to acknowledge the achievements and incredible work of the women at our firm and women everywhere. We are fortunate to have such strong, diverse, and talented women on our team.Read More

New Requirements for Electronic Signatures

The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General issued a Notice to the Public and Legal Profession on February 24, 2022 in regards to electronic signatures. Electronic signatures on court documents have to be in one of the following formats: a certificate-based digital signature on a digital document (i.e., a markRead More

Meryl Rodrigues Speaking at Osgoode Personal Injury Conference

Meryl Rodrigues will be speaking at the Osgoode Personal Injury Law and Practice Conference on March 29, 2022. This is the 17th annual version of the conference. It will be held online. Meryl will be presenting on “The Latest in Damages”. The other topics at the conference are: Top CasesRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly meeting, Pip Swartz discussed the recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court in Dhillon v. City of Cambridge, 2021 ONSC 7385. Overview On August 15th, 2016, Mohammad Hadi’s dog, identified as named “Chewy”, bit Interpal Dhillon at Mohammad’s residence. Among other parties, Interpal sued Animal Services CambridgeRead More

New Motion Confirmation Deadline for Short Motions and Applications in Toronto

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s Notice to the Profession for the Toronto Region has been updated. For short motions and applications in Toronto, the motion confirmation form has to be emailed to JUS.G.MAG.CSD.CivilMotionsConfirmation@ontario.ca by 2:00 p.m. five days prior to the hearing, excluding weekends and holidays. This is aRead More

Dispute Over Production of Medical Assessment Centre File, Surveillance, and Benefits File

One of the issues in Dulude v. Lawrence et al., 2022 ONSC 1034, was whether the plaintiff was entitled to obtain production of the complete file of a medical assessment centre, except for draft reports. The defendants arranged with Soma Medical Assessments for the plaintiff to attend three defence medicalRead More

Plaintiff Ordered to Sign Authorization for Defence Medical Exam

In Khatatbeh v. Quispe, 2022 ONSC 933, the defendant scheduled a defence medical examination with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist asked the plaintiff to sign an authorization or release. The plaintiff refused to sign it on the basis that it required her to disclose any medical conditions or medical problems thatRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly meeting, Annie Levanaj discussed the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Graham v. Toronto (City), 2022 ONCA 149. Background The action arose after Ms. Robyn Graham tripped on a pothole in a pedestrian crosswalk in Toronto on January 2, 2018, suffering injuries as a result.Read More

Updated Participant Information Form

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has updated the Participation Information Form. This form replaces counsel slips. It is required to be submitted in hearings using CaseLines and can be used in other hearings as well.Read More

Athina Ionita Rejoins Rogers Partners

We’re pleased to announce that Athina Ionita has returned to the firm. Welcome back, Athina!Read More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly firm meeting, Michael Kryworuk discussed the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Desjardins General Insurance Group v. Campbell, 2022 ONCA 128.  History of the Litigation: This appeal arose out of a number of applications and motions involving three separate insurance claims for damage to homesRead More

Crown Denied Transfer of COVID Vaccine Charter Action

By Emily Vereshchak In Chowdhury v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario, 2022 ONSC 991, the plaintiff commenced a civil action in Ottawa against Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario (“Her Majesty”) seeking to invalidate mandatory COVID-19 vaccination laws pursuant to the Charter of Rights andRead More

Filing Documents for Small Claims Court Hearings

Effective February 22, 2022, parties in the Small Claims Court have to file their hearing materials at least 10 days prior to the hearing, instead of three days, with limited exceptions. The Consolidated Notice to the Profession and Public Regarding the Small Claims Court can be found here.Read More

Court Examines “Best Efforts” to Answer Undertakings

In Stephens v. Creative Mechanical et al, 2022 ONSC 955, the court considered whether the plaintiffs made “best efforts” to answer undertakings. The case involves the building of a house. The defendants are contractors. The plaintiffs undertook to make best efforts to locate two subcontractors and to provide will-say statements. The attempts madeRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly meeting, Pip Swartz discussed the recent decision in Kifle, et al. v. Penava, et al., 2022 ONSC 552. This decision concerned a motion brought by the plaintiffs to amend the statement of claim to correct a misnomer. The primary plaintiff, Ida Kifle, alleged that she received negligentRead More

Court Declines to Order Production of Crown Brief Due to Ongoing Criminal Prosecution

In Joseph v. Debs, 2022 ONSC 837, the court declined to order production of the Crown Brief in an ongoing sexual assault prosecution. The plaintiff brought the motion in the context of a civil action alleging libel. The plaintiff claims that the defendant defamed him on Twitter by accusing him ofRead More

Case Closed: An Umpire has the Final Word on the Valuation of a Claim

By Natalia Sheikh Overview In Truscott v. Co-Operators General Insurance, 2022 ONSC 829, the Court considered the finality of an umpire’s decision following an appraisal pursuant to section 128 of the Insurance Act, and its impact on subsequent claims flowing from the same loss. Background The plaintiffs were the ownersRead More

Court of Appeal Upholds Decision on Vicarious Liability of Employer

In Dagenais v. Pellerin, 2022 ONCA 76, the Court of Appeal rejected an employer’s argument that it was not vicariously liable for a motor vehicle accident. The employee was a cement finisher who had been instructed by his supervisor to travel to a job site two hours away. While traveling toRead More

Annie Levanaj Published by Canadian Defence Lawyers

One of our articling students, Annie Levanaj, was recently published in the Canadian Defence Lawyers’ Hearsay newsletter. Annie discusses a Supreme Court of Canada decision on the circumstances in which public authorities can be held liable in negligence. The article can be found here.Read More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly meeting, Annie Levanaj discussed the recent decision in Day v. Adams, 2022 ONSC 610. Overview The defendant brought a motion to dismiss an action for delay on the grounds that the plaintiff failed to serve the Statement of Claim in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure[1]Read More

Court Stresses Importance of CaseLines

In Bowman v. Uwaifo, 2022 ONSC 678, the court stressed the importance of using CaseLines in virtual hearings. Justice Myers stated: “imagine a lawyer going into court before the pandemic and not numbering the pages of the motion record. That is the equivalent of not using Caselines today”. The useRead More

Guidance on Civil Case Conferences from the Ontario Superior Court

By Meryl Rodrigues While civil case conferences may seem a relatively quick and less formal way to secure judicial intervention to assist in moving a case forward, particularly at a time of notable court delays and backlog, a recent endorsement from the Superior Court of Justice suggests that counsel oughtRead More

Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year to all those celebrating! We wish you good fortune, happiness, and prosperity in the Year of the Tiger.Read More

Rogers Partners Celebrates Black History Month

The theme for Black History Month 2022 in Canada is “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day.” During Black History Month, people in Canada celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada theRead More

Upcoming Amendments to Rules of Civil Procedure

Brian Sunohara has written an article on amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure, which will be in effect on March 31, 2022. The amendments include: Each party must serve and file a certificate of readiness regarding expert reports at least 30 days prior to the pre-trial conference.Parties can consentRead More

The Importance of the Nature of the Claim in Determining Coverage

By Kayley Richardson In Hemlow Estate v. Co-operators General Insurance Company, 2021 ONCA 908, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed an insurer’s appeal of a coverage application decision, in which the application judge had held that the insurer had a duty to defend the insured. Background Mr. Hemlow had beenRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly firm meeting, Michael Kryworuk discussed the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Tallman Truck Centre Limited v. K.S.P. Holdings Inc., 2022 ONCA 66. This matter involved an appeal of a successful motion to stay the plaintiff’s action that had been brought by one of theRead More

Updated Superior Court Notice to Profession

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice released an updated Notice to Profession and Public Regarding Court Proceedings yesterday, which is in effect until February 28, 2022, subject to further direction of the Court. Juries will not be selected until February 28, 2022. All civil matters will proceed virtually, but, whereRead More

Plaintiff Successful in Striking Out Jury Notice on a Conditional Basis

By Kathryn Orydzuk In Sanson v. Paterson/Security National Insurance Company, 2022 ONSC 276, the plaintiff brought a motion to strike the defendant’s jury notice on a conditional basis. The matter was scheduled to proceed to trial on January 17, 2022. Overview The decision of Justice Dow, released on January 12,Read More

Knowledge of Exact Cause of Fall Not Required to Establish Liability

In Branton et al v. 2008422 Ontario Ltd. c.o.b. as Euro-Ex, 2021 ONSC 7548, the defendant brought a summary judgment motion in an occupiers’ liability claim. The plaintiffs brought a cross-motion seeking a finding of liability against the defendant. The defendant was engaged in road construction work on the street whereRead More

Nicholas Fernandes Joins Rogers Partners

Nicholas Fernandes joined Rogers Partners today as an associate lawyer. We’re very happy to welcome Nicholas to the firm!Read More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly firm meeting, Michael Kryworuk discussed the recent decision in R.C. and J.M. v. Western Assurance Company, 2022 ONSC 100. This matter involved a duty to defend coverage application brought by the applicants, R.C. and J.M., seeking to have the respondent insurer, Western Assurance Company, defend them inRead More

Court Considers Test for Consolidation of Actions

By Jennifer Singh In Paterson v. Gilbert, 2021 ONSC 8469, the plaintiff, Steven Paterson, brought a motion to consolidate three purportedly related actions. Justice Marvin Kurz granted the plaintiff’s motion in part. Overview The three actions that the plaintiff sought to consolidate were: The “MVA Action”, Stuart v. Paterson, Intact Insurance Company andRead More

Rogers Partners Insurance Coverage Checklist

Stephen Ross and Andrew Yolles have prepared a checklist on issues to consider when examining insurance coverage. We hope this checklist is helpful. Click here for the Rogers Partners Insurance Coverage Checklist.Read More

Medical Reasons Required to Terminate Income Replacement Benefits

The Divisional Court’s decision in Varriano v. Allstate, 2021 ONSC 8242, demonstrates the importance of insurers providing medical reasons for terminating income replacement benefits in statutory accident benefits claims. Allstate paid the claimant income replacement benefits between October 7, 2015 and December 2, 2015. On December 30, 2015, Allstate sent toRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly firm meeting, Annie Levanaj discussed the recent decision with respect to damages on the plaintiffs’ motion for default judgment in Zarei v. Iran, 2021 ONSC 8569. Background This decision dealt with compensatory and punitive damages sought by the plaintiffs for the shooting down of Ukraine International AirlineRead More

Court of Appeal Resumes Hearing Most Matters by Zoom

In light of the current state of the pandemic, the Court of Appeal has resumed hearing most matters by videoconference. The relevant portion of the Practice Direction states: 71. In response to the most recent developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, effective December 20, 2021 and until further notice, unlessRead More

Court Declines to Certify Class Action against Parent Corporations of Alleged Tortfeasors

By Erin Crochetière In David v. Loblaw[1] the Ontario Superior Court partially certified a class action against retailers and producers of packaged bread. One of the issues addressed by the Court was whether the plaintiffs’ claims against parent corporations of the bread producers met the requirements for certification. Overview TheRead More

Defendant Denied Further Defence Medical Exam Due to Insufficient Evidence

In Rocca v. 6131646 Canada Inc., 2021 ONSC 8445, the defendant brought a motion to compel the plaintiff to attend a defence medical examination with a physiatrist. The plaintiff had already attended three defence medical examinations, specifically, by an orthopaedic surgeon, a psychiatrist, and a neurologist. The defendant argued that itRead More

Happy New Year!

From all of us at Rogers Partners, best wishes for the new year! We hope everyone stays safe and healthy.Read More

Court of Appeal Examines Pollution Exclusion

The Ontario Court of Appeal recently upheld a decision in which a pollution exclusion in a commercial general liability policy was found to not negate the insurer’s duty to defend. In Hemlow Estate v. Co-operators General Insurance Company, 2021 ONCA 908, John Hemlow, a mechanical contractor, opened a valve toRead More

Happy Holidays!

This year seems to have flown by! Rogers Partners wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season!Read More

Disclosure of Pierringer Agreement Ordered by Court

The decision in Singh et al v. Mann et al, 2021 ONSC 8249, addresses whether a Pierringer Agreement needs to be disclosed. The non-settling defendants sought disclosure of a Pierringer Agreement redacted for quantum.  The plaintiffs and the settling defendants argued that the non-settling defendants are only entitled to disclosureRead More

Updated Notice to Profession in Light of Omicron Variant

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently issued a Notice to the Profession and Public in response to the Omicron variant. Jury trials will not commence in any court location until February 7, 2022.  The decision to continue trials that are in progress will be made by the presiding judge,Read More

Motion to Examine Non-Party Dismissed

In Birhane v. Wong et al, 2021 ONSC 8024, the court dismissed a motion for an oral discovery of a non-party. The plaintiff sued the defendant physicians for medical negligence. A key issue in the lawsuit is whether the plaintiff provided consent for the procedure in question. The plaintiff’s facility withRead More

2021 Holiday Party

We had a fun time at our firm’s virtual holiday party on Friday! There were some great ugly holiday sweaters. Our winners for the best sweaters were: Eugenia Arrieta, Jackie Galvin, Alejandra Luco, and Rescheen Scott. Congratulations to our bingo winners! Meryl Rodrigues won the first game, and Jennifer ThistelRead More

Income Replacement Benefits And CERB: To Deduct Or Not To Deduct? – Take 2

By Kayley Richardson The Applicant sought reconsideration of the Tribunal’s decision in Foster v. Aviva General Insurance[1], that was previously discussed on our blog. Our previous blog post can be found here. At first instance, Adjudicator Ferguson had concluded that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”) was akin to otherRead More

Launch of Tribunals Ontario Portal

Tribunals Ontario recently launched the Tribunals Ontario Portal, which is a new case management system designed to streamline the dispute resolution process. Applications can be filed online and documents can be exchanged with other parties through the portal. Scheduling will also be done online. Currently, only the Landlord and TenantRead More

Federal Privacy Commissioner Calls for Updated Federal Privacy Laws amidst Inconsistent Provincial and Territorial Privacy Protection Frameworks

By Christopher MacDonald Last week, on December 9, 2021, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Daniel Therrien, published his final annual report wherein he called upon the federal government to “bring Canada into the modern era by adopting rights-based privacy laws that will reflect Canadian values and support responsible innovation.” TheRead More

Brain SPECT Ruled Inadmissible at Trial

In Meade v. Hussein, 2021 ONSC 7850, the plaintiff attempted to rely on a brain SPECT scan to demonstrate that she sustained a traumatic brain injury in a motor vehicle accident. The defendant’s expert testified that the use of a brain SPECT to diagnose a traumatic brain injury is notRead More

Rogers Partners Hiring Senior Law Clerk

Rogers Partners LLP currently has an opportunity for a law clerk with at least 5 years of insurance defence experience. This position will support a senior partner and his team with the management of tort litigation matters. Candidates must have certification from a recognized law clerk program. Since our foundingRead More

Virtual Trial at Rogers Partners

Two of our lawyers, Brian Sunohara and Erin Crochetière, participated in a virtual trial from our boardroom last week. The case involves alleged motor vehicle negligence and breach of Charter rights. The trial is anticipated to continue in the early new year. Although conducting a trial by videoconference is notRead More

Fridays with Rogers Partners

At our weekly firm meeting, Michael Kryworuk discussed the recent decision of Justice Dunphy in Basaraba v. Bridal Image Inc., 2021 ONSC 8038, which contains important practical advice for parties seeking summary resolution of their matters. History of the Litigation: This decision arose from a summary judgement motion that wasRead More

Tricks of the Trade Conference

The Advocates’ Society’s popular Tricks of the Trade conference is coming up on January 28, 2022. It will be held online. Two of our partners are involved in the conference. Stephen Ross is a co-chair and Tom Macmillan will be speaking on “The Fallout: Personal Injury Law and the Pandemic”.Read More

Amendments to Claim Denied Where Leave Sought Too Close to Trial

By Athina Ionita In Falsetto v. Falsetto et al., 2021 ONSC 7964, the plaintiff sought leave to amend the statement of claim.  The defendants opposed the plaintiff’s proposed amendments, arguing that the plaintiff was seeking to add new causes of action outside the limitation period, and that the motion wouldRead More

Plaintiff’s Appeal Dismissed on Attending In-Person Defence Medical Exams During the Pandemic

In a previous blog post, Meryl Rodrigues discussed the case of Mierzejewski v. Brook, in which the plaintiff was ordered to attend in-person defence medical assessments despite concerns over COVID-19. The plaintiff provided evidence from a treating doctor who indicated that the plaintiff was at high risk to contract COVID-19Read More

Court of Appeal Encourages Junior Counsel to Participate in Oral Argument

Chief Justice Strathy and Associate Chief Justice Fairburn recently released a statement encouraging junior counsel to be involved in oral argument at the Court of Appeal: The Court of Appeal has a rich tradition of welcoming submissions from counsel at all stages of their career.Opportunities to address the Court areRead More