Basque v. Saint John,

• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)
• Judge: Glennie, J.
• Neutral Citation: 2002 NBQB 131
• Citation: (2002), 250 N.B.R.(2d) 207 (TD),2002 NBQB 131,1964 CanLII 594 (NB QB),250 NBR (2d) 207,[2002] NBJ No 134 (QL),(2002), 250 NBR(2d) 207 (TD),250 N.B.R.(2d) 207,[2002] N.B.J. No 134 (QL),250 NBR(2d) 207
• Date: 28 March 2002

Basque v. Saint John (2002), 250 N.B.R.(2d) 207 (TD);

    250 R.N.-B.(2e) 207; 650 A.P.R. 207

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [2002] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. AP.028

Nancy Basque (plaintiff) v. The City of Saint John (defendant)

(S/C/505/00; 2002 NBQB 131)

Indexed As: Basque v. Saint John (City)

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Trial Division

Judicial District of Saint John

Glennie, J.

March 28, 2002.

Summary:

The plaintiff attended a furniture clearance sale at an arena owned by a mu­nicipality. The plaintiff slipped and fell on the stairs. The plaintiff sued the municipality for dam­ages. Liability and damages were in issue.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, allowed the plaintiff's action and assessed damages accordingly.

Damage Awards - Topic 130

Injury and death - Leg injuries - Knee - The plaintiff slipped and fell on the stairs in an arena owned by a municipality - She sustained a hematoma to the left knee and neck strain (whiplash type injury) - She sued the municipality for damages - Suf­fered continuing pain - The New Bruns­wick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Divi­sion, awarded the plaintiff $25,000 non­pecuniary general damages - See para­graphs 100 to 267.

Damage Awards - Topic 178

Injury and death - Neck injuries - Whip­lash - [See Damage Awards - Topic 130 ].

Damage Awards - Topic 495

Injury and death - General damage awards - Loss of housekeeping capacity - The plaintiff slipped and fell on the stairs in an arena owned by a municipality - She sus­tained a hematoma to the left knee and neck strain (whiplash type injury) - She sued the municipality for damages - Con­tinuing pain - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, awarded the plaintiff $5,000 for loss of home­mak­ing and valuable services - See para­graphs 302 to 313.

Damages - Topic 1550

General damages - General damages for personal injury - Prospective loss of wages or earnings - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, reviewed the principles applicable to assessing dam­ages for diminution in earning capacity - See paragraphs 268 to 301.

Municipal Law - Topic 1808

Liability of municipalities - Negligence - Standard of care - Maintenance of public lands and buildings - [See Torts - Topic 3583 ].

Torts - Topic 3583

Occupiers' liability or negligence for dan­gerous premises - Negligence of occupier - Stairs, steps or landings - The plaintiff slipped and fell on the stairs in an arena owned by a municipality - She sued the municipality for damages - The stairs, which were wooden and appeared old, constituted the only active entrance to the arena - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, held that the municipality owed a duty of care to the plaintiff which it breached - The stairs were not designed or constructed properly and the city had no reasonable and ade­quate system of maintenance and in­spec­tion in place respecting the stairs - The construction did not meet applicable codes - The stairs were in a poor state of repair - There should have been a centre handrail - Inconsistent rise and run - No slip resis­tance - See paragraphs 1 to 96.

Torts - Topic 3712

Occupiers' liability or negligence for dan­gerous premises - Invitees - Liability of particular occupiers (incl. duty and stan­dard of care) - Recreational and sports arenas or facilities - [See Torts - Topic 3583 ].

Torts - Topic 6633

Defences - Contributory negligence - Fail­ure to keep proper lookout - The plaintiff slipped and fell on the stairs in an arena owned by a municipality - She sued the municipality for damages - The stairs, which were wooden and appeared old, constituted the only active entrance to the arena - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, held that the municipality owed a duty of care to the plaintiff which it breached - The stairs were not designed or constructed properly and the city had no reasonable and ade­quate system of maintenance and in­spec­tion in place respecting the stairs - The court rejected the municipality's argument that the plaintiff was contributorily negli­gent - See paragraphs 97 to 99.

Cases Noticed:

Wilkins v. Ryder (1995), 165 N.B.R.(2d) 43; 424 A.P.R. 43 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 65].

Vautour v. Greendale Holdings Ltd. (1998), 204 N.B.R.(2d) 45; 520 A.P.R. 45 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 65].

Bridges v. North London Railway Co. (1874), L.R. 7 H.L. 213, refd to. [para. 66].

Just v. British Columbia, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1228; 103 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 67].

Lanteigne v. New Brunswick Liquor Corp. et al., [2002] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 21; 2002 CarswellNB 85 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 74].

Beck et al. v. Saint John (City) (1996), 183 N.B.R.(2d) 321; 465 A.P.R. 321 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 76].

Stewart v. Moncton (Municipality) (1925), 53 N.B.R. 427 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 88].

Hanson v. Saint John Horticultural Associ­ation and Saint John (City), [1974] S.C.R. 354; 6 N.B.R.(2d) 292, refd to. [para. 88].

Cole v. Gargoyles Lounge Inc. (1998), 205 N.B.R.(2d) 270; 523 A.P.R. 270 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 91].

McAllister v. Wal-Mart Canada Inc. (2000), 228 N.B.R.(2d) 230; 588 A.P.R. 230 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 93].

Legood v. Atlantic Wholesalers Ltd., [2002] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 5; 2002 CarswellNB 58 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 93].

Kinsella v. Logan et al. (1996), 179 N.B.R.(2d) 161; 455 A.P.R. 161 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 232].

Andrews et al. v. Grand & Toy (Alberta) Ltd. et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 229; 19 N.R. 50; 8 A.R. 182; 83 D.L.R.(3d) 452; [1978] 1 W.W.R. 577; 3 C.C.L.T. 225, refd to. [para. 232].

Thornton v. Board of School Trustees of School District No. 57 (Prince George) et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 267; 19 N.R. 552; 83 D.L.R.(3d) 480; [1978] 1 W.W.R. 607; 3 C.C.L.T. 257, refd to. [para. 232].

Teno et al. v. Arnold et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 287; 19 N.R. 1; 3 C.C.L.T. 272; 83 D.L.R.(3d) 609, refd to. [para. 232].

Doiron v. Goguen (1992), 130 N.B.R.(2d) 168; 328 A.P.R. 168 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 234].

Coffey v. Dalin Investments Ltd. (1996), 176 N.B.R.(2d) 148; 447 A.P.R. 148; 1996 CarswellNB 147 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 242].

Chamberlain and Orr v. Robichaud (1985), 62 N.B.R.(2d) 73; 161 A.P.R. 73 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 245].

Meunier v. Green Gables Food Stores Ltd. (1990), 109 N.B.R.(2d) 251; 273 A.P.R. 251 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 246].

Mathews v. North Road Baptist Church Inc. (1999), 217 N.B.R.(2d) 357; 555 A.P.R. 357; 1999 CarswellNB 358 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 247].

Vincente and Davis v. Campbell, Camp­bell, Clark and Clark (1978), 21 N.B.R.(2d) 583; 37 A.P.R. 583 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 249].

Panasuk v. Corp. of Holy Trinity Church and Harvey Construction Ltd. (1977), 16 N.B.R.(2d) 648; 21 A.P.R. 648 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 250].

McGraw v. Preston (1981), 37 N.B.R.(2d) 252; 97 A.P.R. 252 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 251].

LeBlanc v. Cormier; Cormier and Cormier v. LeBlanc (1980), 32 N.B.R.(2d) 408; 78 A.P.R. 408 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 252].

Proenca v. Larsen et al., [1998] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 36 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 255].

Christensen et al. v. Rivard, [1998] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 59 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 256].

Kelly v. MacBean (1995), 171 N.B.R.(2d) 219; 437 A.P.R. 219 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 257].

Overholt et al. v. Stratford (City) et al. (1996), 1 O.T.C. 161; 1996 CarswellOnt 1526 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 258].

Pringle v. Wardhaugh, [1995] O.J. No. 1298; 1995 CarswellOnt 566 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 258].

Scott v. Renton et al. (1999), 215 N.B.R.(2d) 263; 551 A.P.R. 263 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 268].

Boucher v. Doiron (2000), 230 N.B.R.(2d) 247; 593 A.P.R. 247; 2000 CarswellNB 392 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 269].

Cooper v. McLeod (1996), 178 N.B.R.(2d) 276; 454 A.P.R. 276 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 271].

Kelly v. Garnett et al. (1997), 191 N.B.R.(2d) 150; 488 A.P.R. 150 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 272].

Young v. Fletcher and Lakeburn Lumber Retail Ltd. (1995), 161 N.B.R.(2d) 116; 414 A.P.R. 116; 1995 CarswellNB 38 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 274].

Meyer et al. v. Bright et al. (1993), 67 O.A.C. 134; 15 O.R.(3d) 129 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 276].

Janiak v. Ippolito, [1985] 1 S.C.R. 146; 57 N.R. 241; 9 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 277].

Graham et al. v. Rourke (1990), 40 O.A.C. 301; 75 O.R.(2d) 622 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 278].

Schrump v. Koot, 1977 CarswellOnt 454 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 279].

Steenblok v. Funk, 1990 CarswellBC 115 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 281].

Mallett v. McMonagle, [1970] A.C. 166; [1969] 2 W.L.R. 767; [1969] 2 All E.R. 178 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 284].

Marsh v. Poirier et al. (1995), 161 N.B.R.(2d) 178; 414 A.P.R. 178 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 287].

Betts v. Reilly, [1997] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 1 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 288].

Fillier v. Whittom (1995), 161 N.B.R.(2d) 241; 414 A.P.R. 241 (T.D.), affd. (1995), 171 N.B.R.(2d) 92; 437 A.P.R. 92 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 290].

Poirier v. Donelle et al. (1995), 165 N.B.R.(2d) 132; 424 A.P.R. 132 (T.D.), affd. (1996), 173 N.B.R.(2d) 75; 441 A.P.R. 75 (C.A.), refd to. [paras. 291, 293].

Cramm v. Griffith-McGuire, [2000] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 84; 2000 Cars­wellNB 277 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 295].

Hamm v. Mawhinney, [1999] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 11; 1999 CarswellNB 597 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 298].

Fobel v. Dean and MacDonald (1991), 93 Sask.R. 103; 4 W.A.C. 103; 83 D.L.R.(4th) 385 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 302].

O'Neill v. Campbell (1995), 161 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 414 A.P.R. 1; 1995 Cars­wellNB 85 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 303].

LeBreton v. LaRocque, [2000] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 97 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 307].

Johnson v. Shelest (1988), 22 B.C.L.R.(2d) 230 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 310].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Charles, William H.R., Handbook on As­sessment of Damages in Personal Injury Cases, generally [para. 233].

Cooper-Stephenson, Kenneth D., and Saun­ders, Iwan B., Personal Injury Dam­ages in Canada (1981), pp. 10 [para. 285]; 84 [para. 283]; 148 [para. 307]; 150 [para. 310]; 283 [para. 286]; 315 [para. 306].

Cooper-Stephenson, Kenneth D., and Saun­ders, Iwan B., Personal Injury Dam­ages in Canada (2nd Ed. 1996), p. 104 [para. 305].

Linden, Allen M., Canadian Tort Law (6th Ed. 1997), p. 623 [para. 70].

Counsel:

Robert M. Creamer, on behalf of the plain­tiff;

Donald V. Keenan, on behalf of the defen­dant.

This case was heard on January 15 and 16, 2002, before Glennie, J., of the New Bruns­wick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Divi­sion, Judicial District of Saint John, who delivered the following decision on March 28, 2002.