Barrett v. Paquet, (1981) 31 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 90 (PEISC)

• Judge: M.J. McQuaid, J.
• Case Date: March 04, 1981
• Jurisdiction: Prince Edward Island
• Citations: (1981), 31 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 90 (PEISC)

Barrett v. Paquet (1981), 31 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 90 (PEISC);

    87 A.P.R. 90

MLB headnote and full text

Barrett v. Paquet and Barrett v. Paquet

(Nos. GDC-940, GDC-941)

Indexed As: Barrett v. Paquet

Prince Edward Island Supreme Court

M.J. McQuaid, J.

March 4, 1981.

Summary:

This case arose out of a consolidation of two actions for damages for wrongful death.

The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court allowed the claim of a widow and child and awarded general damages of $127,718.00 resulting from the death of the husband and father. The court dismissed the action of a father for damages arising from the death of his adult son.

Damage Awards - Topic 81

Fatal accidents - Father and husband - 29 year old dairy farmer leaving surviving 26 year old wife and child - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court assessed $127,718.00 general damages for wrongful death - See paragraph 68.

Damage Awards - Topic 87

Fatal accidents - Son - Unmarried adult son who lived with father - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court made no award of general damages under the Fatal Accidents Act - The court stated that the father's right of recovery must be limited to the amount of actual pecuniary loss suffered as a result of his son's death - See paragraphs 70 to 81.

Damages - Topic 2100

Torts causing death - General - General principles - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court generally referred to and discussed the method of assessing general damages in an action for wrongful death - See paragraphs 28 to 30.

Damages - Topic 2116

Torts causing death - Method of assessment of value of the dependency (lump sum) - Present value of deferred benefits - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court generally discussed the determination of a discount rate in an action for wrongful death - The court applied a rate of 3% - See paragraphs 54 to 58.

Damages - Topic 2117

Torts causing death - Method of assessment of value of the dependency (lump sum) - Contingencies - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court generally discussed the contingencies of remarriage, death of the widow, acceleration of benefits, and retirement and possible future incapacities of the deceased in an action for damages for wrongful death - The court reduced the award by 3% to cover adverse contingencies - See paragraphs 42 to 52.

Damages - Topic 2119

Torts causing death - Deductions from value of the dependency - Matters which reduce the value of the dependency - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court deducted capital cost allowance from the net income of the deceased, a 29 year old dairy farmer, to determine the true amount available for the support of both himself and his dependents - See paragraphs 34 to 37.

Damages - Topic 2173

Torts causing death - Considerations which increase award - Income tax, general - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court held that although income received under the Canada Pension Plan and Family Allowance payments were not to be considered in assessing general damages for wrongful death, they were items for which the widow should be compensated for additional tax liability - See paragraph 62.

Damages - Topic 2174

Torts causing death - Considerations which increase award - Tax on investment income from the investment of the award - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court increased a damage award for wrongful death to compensate for tax liability incurred by annual interest earned on the lump sum award - See paragraphs 59 to 61.

Practice - Topic 1310

Pleadings - Questions of law - Pleading a statute - Survival of Actions Act - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court held that while the plaintiff, when claiming under the Fatal Accidents Act, had the right to claim for damage to an automobile under the Survival of Actions Act, the failure to do so did not prevent the court from considering the claim - See paragraph 25.

Torts - Topic 438

Negligence - Motor vehicles - Rules of the road - Entering intersections - Yield sign - A yield sign was turned at a 45 degree angle from approaching motorists - The Prince Edward Island Supreme Court held that the sign still served as a warning to attentive motorists and the defendant's inattention, negligence and failure to obey the "yield" sign were the sole causes of the accident - See paragraphs 2 to 22.

Cases Noticed:

Kraft v. Prefontaine et al. (1963), 41 W.W.R.(N.S.) 510, dist. [para. 7].

Walker v. Lenzin (1963), 43 W.W.R.(N.S.) 1, dist. [para. 7].

Doblanko v. J.P. Sunrise Bakery Ltd. & Ano. (1967), 59 W.W.R.(N.S.) 558, dist. [para. 7].

Johnston v. Semple and Mills (1962), 36 D.L.R.(2d) 319, refd to. [para. 18].

Mulligan v. Morrison Engineering and Construction Ltd. (1970), 1 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 155, refd to. [para. 18].

Johnston v. Anderson (1974), 5 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 198, consd. [para. 25].

Collins et al. v. Burge et al. (1977), 11 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 520; 7 A.P.R. 520, refd to. [para. 26].

Basarsky v. Quinlan (1972), 24 D.L.R.(3d) 720, refd to. [para. 26].

Andrews et al. v. Grand Toy & Alta. Ltd. et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 229; 19 N.R. 50; 8 A.R. 182; [1978] 2 W.W.R. 557; 83 D.L.R.(3d) 452, refd to. [para. 28], consd. [para. 42].

Proctor et al. v. Dyck et al., [1953] 1 S.C.R. 244, consd. [para. 36].

Keizer v. Hanna et al. (1978), 19 N.R. 209; 82 D.L.R.(3d) 449, refd to. [para. 40].

R. v. Jennings, [1966] S.C.R. 532, refd to. [para. 40].

May et al. v. Municipality of Toronto, [1969] 1 O.R. 419, refd to. [para. 40].

Teno v. Arnold et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 287; 19 N.R. 183 D.L.R.(3d) 609, refd to. [para. 42].

Thornton v. School District Number 57 Board of Trustees, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 267; 19 N.R. 552; [1978] 1 W.W.R. 607; 83 D.L.R.(3d) 480, refd to. [para. 42].

Buckley v. Allen & Ford (Oxford) Ltd., [1967] 1 All E.R. 539, consd. [para. 43].

Julian v. Northern and Central Gas Corporation Ltd. (1979), 11 C.C.L.T. 1, refd to. [para. 47].

Willey v. Cambridge Leaseholds Ltd. (1976), 5 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 473; 57 D.L.R.(3d) 550, refd to. [para. 47].

Lewis v. Todd et al. (1981), 34 N.R. 1, consd. [para. 54].

Fenn et al. v. Corporation of the City of Peterborough et al. (1979), 9 C.C.L.T. 1 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 56].

Haley v. Richardson et al. (1976), 9 N.B.R.(2d) 318; 1 A.P.R. 318, 60 D.L.R.(3d) 480 (N.B.S.C.), refd to. [para. 59].

Plachta v. Richardson, Canadian National Railways v. Mountenay (1975), 49 D.L.R.(3d) 23 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 62].

Canadian Pacific Ltd. et al. v. Gill et al., [1973] S.C.R. 654 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 62].

Taylor v. O'Connor, [1970] 1 All E.R. 365, refd to. [para. 62].

Kivong v. The Queen (1979), 14 A.R. 120 (Alta C.A.); 96 D.L.R.(3d) 241, refd to. [para. 62].

Royal Trust Company v. C.P.R. (1922), 67 D.L.R. 518, consd. [para. 72].

Statutes Noticed:

Fatal Accidents Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1974, c. F-4 [paras. 23, 25, 28]; sect. 3(1) [para. 74]; sect. 7(1)(a) [para. 44]; sect. 7(1)(b) [para. 48].

Highway Traffic Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1974, c. H-6, sect. 170 [paras. 14, 16]; sect. 171 [paras. 14, 16, 17]; sect. 186 [paras. 15, 16].

Survival of Actions Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1974, c. S-14 [para. 25].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Charlesworth on Negligence (4th Ed.), p. 217 [para. 30]; p. 1212 [para. 73].

Counsel:

Gerald R. Foster, Q.C., for the plaintiff;

Alan K. Scales, Q.C., for the defendant.

This case was heard before McQUAID, J., of the Prince Edward Island Supreme Court.

The judgment of McQUAID, J., was delivered on March 4, 1981: