Childs v. Desormeaux, (2004) 187 O.A.C. 111 (CA)

• Judge: O'Connor, A.C.J.O., Weiler and Sharpe, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (Ontario)
• Case Date: November 04, 2003
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (2004), 187 O.A.C. 111 (CA)

Childs v. Desormeaux (2004), 187 O.A.C. 111 (CA)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2004] O.A.C. TBEd. MY.053

Zoe Childs, Andrew Childs, Pauline Childs, Heather Lee Childs and Jennifer Christine Childs (plaintiffs/appellants) v. Desmond Desormeaux, Julie Zimmerman, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The General Accident Assurance Company of Canada and Dwight Courrier (defendants/respondents)

(C38836)

Indexed As: Childs v. Desormeaux et al.

Ontario Court of Appeal

O'Connor, A.C.J.O., Weiler and Sharpe, JJ.A.

May 19, 2004.

Summary:

The issue in this action was whether hosts of a "Bring Your Own Booze" (BYOB) party were partially responsible for injuries caused in a motor vehicle accident by a drunk driver who had attended the party.

The Ontario Superior Court, in a decision reported at [2002] O.T.C. 628, dismissed the action. The plaintiffs appealed.

The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. The court held that on the specific facts of this case the social hosts did not owe a duty of care to users of the road. However, the court cautioned that it would not foreclose social host liability, particularly where the host knew that an intoxicated guest was going to drive a car and did nothing to protect third party road users.

Torts - Topic 49.35

Negligence - Standard of care - Particular persons and relationships - Social hosts - The plaintiff was injured when the car in which she was riding was struck by an impaired driver (Desormeaux) - Desormeaux had just attended a BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze) party at the home of two social hosts - The plaintiff sued the social hosts, claiming that they owed her a duty of care - The Ontario Court of Appeal affirmed that the action should be dismissed - The court held that on the specific facts of this case the social hosts did not owe a duty of care to users of the road - The court stated that the party was a BYOB party, thus the social hosts did not provide, nor did they serve, the alcohol consumed by Desormeaux - There was no evidence to suggest that the social hosts knew how much alcohol Desormeaux drank while at the party - Also there was no finding that the social hosts knew that Desormeaux was impaired when he drove away from the party - The court cautioned that its conclusion that this appeal should be dismissed should not be interpreted to mean that social hosts are immune from liability to innocent third party users of the road for damages caused by impaired guests who drive a car - On the contrary, the court would not foreclose social host liability particularly when it is shown that a social host knew that an intoxicated guest was going to drive a car and did nothing to protect innocent third parties.

Torts - Topic 90

Negligence - Duty of care - To intoxicated persons - [See Torts - Topic 49.35 ].

Torts - Topic 3723

Occupiers' liability or negligence for dangerous premises - Invitees - Duties of occupier - Duty to intoxicated, impaired or disabled invitee - [See Torts - Topic 49.35 ].

Torts - Topic 8915

Duty of care - Particular relationships - Control of conduct of others - Social host - Respecting alcohol consumption by guests - [See Torts - Topic 49.35 ].

Cases Noticed:

Jordan House Ltd. v. Menow - see Menow v. Hornsberger.

Menow v. Hornsberger, [1974] S.C.R. 239; 38 D.L.R.(3d) 105, refd to. [para. 2].

Stewart v. Pettie et al., [1995] 1 S.C.R. 131; 177 N.R. 297; 162 A.R. 241; 83 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 2].

Anns v. Merton London Borough Council, [1978] A.C. 728 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 17].

Nielsen v. Kamloops (City) and Hughes, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 2; 54 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 17].

Odhavji Estate et al. v. Woodhouse et al., [2003] 3 S.C.R. 263; 312 N.R. 305; 180 O.A.C. 201 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 20].

Cooper v. Hobart - see Cooper v. Registrar of Mortgage Brokers (B.C.) et al.

Cooper v. Registrar of Mortgage Brokers (B.C.) et al., [2001] 3 S.C.R. 537; 277 N.R. 113; 160 B.C.A.C. 268; 261 W.A.C. 268, refd to. [para. 21].

Winnipeg Condominium Corp. No. 36 v. Bird Construction Co. et al., [1995] 1 S.C.R. 85; 176 N.R. 321; 100 Man.R.(2d) 241; 91 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 22].

Edwards et al. v. Law Society of Upper Canada et al., [2001] 3 S.C.R. 562; 277 N.R. 145; 153 O.A.C. 388, refd to. [para. 23].

Hercules Management Ltd. et al. v. Ernst & Young et al., [1997] 2 S.C.R. 165; 211 N.R. 352; 115 Man.R.(2d) 241; 139 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 24].

Kelly v. Gwinnell (1984), 96 N.J. 538 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 27].

Donohue v. Stevenson, [1932] A.C. 562 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 28].

Baumeister v. Drake (1986), 5 B.C.L.R.(2d) 382 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 30].

Mortimer et al. v. Cameron et al. (1992), 9 M.P.L.R.(2d) 185 (Ont. Gen. Div.), varied (1994), 68 O.A.C. 332; 17 O.R.(3d) 1 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused (1994), 178 N.R. 146; 76 O.A.C. 400; 19 O.R.(3d) xvi (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 30].

Nespolon v. Alford et al., [1995] O.J. No. 1616 (Gen. Div.), revd. (1998), 110 O.A.C. 108; 40 O.R.(3d) 355 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused (1999), 236 N.R. 183; 122 O.A.C. 200 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 30].

Wince v. Ball et al. (1996), 186 A.R. 156 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Fitkin Estate v. Latimer et al. (1993), 35 O.R.(3d) 466 (Gen. Div.), affd. (1997), 102 O.A.C. 82; 35 O.R.(3d) 464 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

Alchimowicz v. Schram et al. (1997), 22 O.T.C. 351 (Gen. Div.), affd. (1999), 116 O.A.C. 287 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused [1999] S.C.C.A. No. 17; 252 N.R. 199; 133 O.A.C. 198, refd to. [para. 30].

Chretien v. Jensen et al., [1997] B.C.T.C. Uned. J19 (S.C.), affd. (1998), 116 B.C.A.C. 81; 190 W.A.C. 81; 58 B.C.L.R.(3d) 186 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 30].

Stevenson v. Clearview Riverside Resort et al., [2000] O.T.C. 908 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 30].

Dryden et al. v. Campbell Estate et al., [2001] O.T.C. 143 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 30].

Calliou Estate v. Calliou Estate et al. (2002), 306 A.R. 322 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 30].

Prevost v. Vetter et al. (2002), 166 B.C.A.C. 56; 271 W.A.C. 56; 100 B.C.L.R.(3d) 44 (C.A.), reving. [2001] B.C.T.C. 312; 197 D.L.R.(4th) 292 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 30].

Crocker v. Sundance Northwest Resorts Ltd., [1988] 1 S.C.R. 1186; 86 N.R. 241; 29 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [paras. 68, 70, footnote 2].

Home Office v. Dorset Yacht Co., [1970] 2 All E.R. 294 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

Hall v. Hebert, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 159; 152 N.R. 321; 26 B.C.A.C. 161; 44 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

Ontario Hospital Services Commission v. Borsoski (1973), 7 O.R.(2d) 83 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

Jacobsen v. Nike Canada Ltd. (1996), 133 D.L.R.(4th) 377 (B.C.S.C.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

Hunt v. Sutton Group Incentive Realty Inc. et al., [2000] O.T.C. 777; 52 O.R.(3d) 425 (Sup. Ct.), revd. (2002), 162 O.A.C. 186; 60 O.R.(3d) 665 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 70, footnote 2].

Rose v. Pettle et al., [2004] O.T.C. 203 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 70].

Saskatchewan Wheat Pool v. Canada, [1983] 1 S.C.R. 205; 45 N.R. 425; 143 D.L.R.(3d) 9, refd to. [para. 72].

Paterson Zochonis & Co. v. Merfarken Packaging Ltd., [1986] 3 All E.R. 522, refd to. [para. 79].

Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law v. Canada (Attorney General) (2004), 315 N.R. 201; 183 O.A.C. 1; 2004 SCC 4, refd to. [para. 84].

Hague v. Billings (1989), 68 O.R.(2d) 321 (H.C.), varied (1993), 64 O.A.C. 219; 13 O.R.(3d) 298 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 85].

Watkins v. Olafson et al., [1989] 2 S.C.R. 750; 100 N.R. 161; 61 Man.R.(2d) 81, refd to. [para. 86].

R. v. Salituro, [1991] 3 S.C.R. 654; 131 N.R. 161; 50 O.A.C. 125, refd to. [para. 86].

Child and Family Services of Winnipeg Northwest Area v. D.F.G., [1997] 3 S.C.R. 925; 219 N.R. 241; 121 Man.R.(2d) 241; 158 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 86].

Mahar v. Rogers Cablesystems Ltd. (1995), 25 O.R.(3d) 690 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 94].

Hamilton v. Open Window Bakery Ltd. et al. (2003), 316 N.R. 265; 184 O.A.C. 209 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 99].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Adjin-Tettey, Elizabeth, Social Host Liability: A Logical Extension of Commercial Host Liability? (2002), 65 Sask. L. Rev. 515, pp. 526 to 529 [para. 25]; 530, 531 [para. 80]; 532 [para. 25]; 537 [para. 83]; 541, note 78 [para. 27].

Archibault, Todd and Cochrane, Michael, Annual Review of Civil Litigation 2003 (2004), generally [para. 30, footnote 1].

Archibault, Todd and Cochrane, Michael, The Transformation of Causation in the Supreme Court: Dilution and Policyization 2002 (2003), pp. 187, 211 [para. 22].

Black, Vaughan, The Transformation of Causation in the Supreme Court: Dilution and Policyization, in Archibault, Todd and Cochrane, Michael, Annual Review of Civil Litigation 2002 (2003), pp. 187, 211 [para. 22].

Brazier, Margaret and Murphy, John, Street on Torts (10th Ed. 2001), p. 194 [para. 70].

Europe, Eurocare Report to the European Union, Drinking and Driving in Europe, (June 2003), online: <http://www.eurocare.org>, paras. 8.2 [para. 82]; 8.3 [paras. 82, 84].

Fleming, John G., The Law of Torts (9th Ed. 1998), p. 7 [para. 22].

Klar, Lewis N., Tort Law (1996), p. 161 [para. 70, footnote 2].

Klar, Lewis N., Tort Law (3rd Ed. 2003), pp. 183 [para. 45]; 190, 197, 198 [para. 70].

Orkin, Mark M., The Law of Costs (2nd Ed. 1987) (Looseleaf), p. 209.2 [para. 98].

Zablocki, Christine A., The Emergence and Evolution of Social Host Liability in Canada, in Archibald, Todd and Cochrane, Michael, Annual Review of Civil Litigation 2003 (2004), generally [para. 30, footnote 1].

Counsel:

Barry D. Laushway and Beth M. Alexander, for the appellants;

Eric R. Williams and Jaye E. Hooper, for the respondent, Julie Zimmerman;

Earl A. Cherniak, Q.C., and Kirk F. Stevens, for the intervenor, Mothers Against Drunk Driving;

Helmut R. Brodmann, for the respondent, Desmond Desormeaux.

This appeal was heard on November 4, 2003, before O'Connor, A.C.J.O., Weiller and Sharpe, JJ.A., of the Ontario Court of Appeal. Weiler, J.A., delivered the following judgment on May 19, 2004.