Gibbens v. Co-operators Life Insurance Co., 2008 BCCA 153

• Judge: Newbury, Saunders and Frankel, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: January 08, 2008
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: 2008 BCCA 153;(2008), 254 B.C.A.C. 120 (CA)

Gibbens v. Co-op Life (2008), 254 B.C.A.C. 120 (CA);

    426 W.A.C. 120

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2008] B.C.A.C. TBEd. AP.034

Randolph Charles Gibbens (respondent/plaintiff) v. Co-operators Life Insurance Company/Co-operators Companie d'assurance-vie (appellant/defendant)

(CA035337; 2008 BCCA 153)

Indexed As: Gibbens v. Co-operators Life Insurance Co.

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Newbury, Saunders and Frankel, JJ.A.

April 15, 2008.

Summary:

The plaintiff had unprotected sex with three women. He became infected with type 2 herpes simplex virus which, in turn, caused transverse myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord) resulting in his total paralysis from the mid-abdomen down. The plaintiff sought indemnification from his group insurer for paraplegia caused "directly and independently of all other causes from bodily injuries occasioned solely through external, violent and accidental means". A special case was brought.

The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a decision reported [2007] B.C.T.C. Uned. E08, ruled in favour of the plaintiff. The insurer appealed.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

Insurance - Topic 3580

Accident and sickness insurance - The contract - Interpretation of terms - Loss resulting directly or independently of other causes from accidental bodily injuries - The plaintiff had unprotected sex with three women - He became infected with type 2 herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) which, in turn, caused transverse myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord) resulting in his total paralysis from the mid-abdomen down - A chambers judge ruled that the plaintiff was entitled to proceeds under a group insurance policy for paraplegia caused "directly and independently of all other causes from bodily injuries occasioned solely through external, violent and accidental means" - The British Columbia Court of Appeal upheld the decision - Giving a "generous" meaning to "accidental", the court concluded that the plaintiff's transverse myelitis did not arise "naturally" - Rather, it arose from an external factor or "unlooked-for mishap", the introduction of the HSV-2 virus into his body by a sexual partner - The plaintiff's injury was unintended or unexpected - It also arose through "external" and "violent" means within the meaning given to those words by jurisprudence - See paragraphs 1 to 39.

Words and Phrases

External, violent and accidental means - The British Columbia Court of Appeal discussed the meaning of the words "external, violent and accidental means" found in a group insurance policy - See paragraphs 6, 14 to 33.

Cases Noticed:

Martin v. American International Assurance Life Co. et al., [2003] 1 S.C.R. 158; 301 N.R. 127; 178 B.C.A.C. 161; 292 W.A.C. 161; 223 D.L.R.(4th) 1; 2003 SCC 16, consd. [paras. 8, 35].

Wang v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (2004), 189 O.A.C. 355; 72 O.R.(3d) 161; 242 D.L.R.(4th) 598 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused (2005), 341 N.R. 399; 207 O.A.C. 397 (S.C.C.), consd. [para. 10].

Silverstein v. Metropolitan Life (1930), 254 N.Y. 81 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].

Brooks, Allen and Dixon et al. v. Canada Safeway Ltd., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1219; 94 N.R. 373; 58 Man.R.(2d) 161, refd to. [para. 13].

Kolbuc v. ACE INA Insurance (2007), 224 O.A.C. 198; 85 O.R.(3d) 652; 2007 ONCA 364, refd to. [paras. 13, 36].

Toronto Professional Firefighters' Association v. Toronto (City) (2007), 223 O.A.C. 146 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 13].

Bertalan Estate v. American Home Assurance Co. et al. (2001), 149 B.C.A.C. 244; 244 W.A.C. 244; 86 B.C.L.R.(3d) 1; 2001 BCCA 131, refd to. [para. 15].

Booth v. British Columbia Life & Casualty Co. (2004), 195 B.C.A.C. 121; 319 W.A.C. 121; 24 B.C.L.R.(4th) 289; 2004 BCCA 133, refd to. [para. 15].

Sinclair v. Maritime Passengers Assurance Co. (1861), 121 E.R. 521; 3 EL. & EL. 478 (K.B.), refd to. [paras. 16, 35].

Cornish v. Accident Insurance Co. (1889), 23 Q.B.D. 453 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Brown v. Continental Casualty Co. (1926), 108 So. 464 (La. S.C.), refd to. [para. 22].

Hamlyn v. Crown Accidental Insurance Co., [1893] 1 Q.B. 750 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Claxton v. Travellers' Insurance Co. of Hartford (1917), 36 D.L.R. 481 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Murphy (J.C.) v. Continental Casualty Co. (1972), 269 So.2d 507 (1st Cir. C.A.), refd to. [para. 22].

Koch v. Empire Life Insurance Co. (1981), 29 A.R. 49; 124 D.L.R.(3d) 161 (Q.B.), consd. [para. 24].

Life Insurance Co. of Georgia v. Thomas (1974), 133 Ga. App. 134 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

N.W. Commercial Travelers Association v. London Guarantee and Accident Co. (1895), 10 Man. R. 537 (C.A.), consd. [para. 26].

Aguilar v. London Life Insurance Co. (1990), 65 Man.R.(2d) 221; 70 D.L.R.(4th) 510 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused [1991] 1 S.C.R. v; 131 N.R. 160; 75 Man.R.(2d) 80; 6 W.A.C. 80, refd to. [para. 27].

Algoma Steel Corp. v. Allendale Mutual Insurance Co. (1990), 38 O.A.C. 204; 72 O.R.(2d) 782 (C.A.), leave to appeal refused [1991] 1 S.C.R. v; 135 N.R. 158; 49 O.A.C. 318, consd. [para. 30].

Brissette v. Westbury Life Insurance Co., [1992] 3 S.C.R. 87; 142 N.R. 104; 58 O.A.C. 10, refd to. [para. 31].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Couch on Insurance (3rd Ed.) (2005 Looseleaf), § 139:18 [para. 28].

Hall, Geoff R., Canadian Contractual Interpretation Law (2007), p. 93 [para. 30].

Ivamy, Edward Richard Hardy, General Principles of Insurance Law (5th Ed. 1986), p. 334 [para. 30].

Ivamy, Edward Richard Hardy, General Principles of Insurance Law (6th Ed. 1993), p. 355 [para. 30].

Kerr, Douglas, Transverse Myelitis, Current Therapy in Neurological Disease (6th Ed. 2001), generally [para. 5].

MacGillivray and Parkington, Insurance Law (10th Ed. 2003), pp. 278, 279 [para. 30]; § 11-3 [para. 31].

Welford's Accident Insurance (2nd Ed.), para. 46 [para. 11].

Counsel:

B.A. Laughton, Q.C., and L. Terai, for the appellant;

G.J. Collette and R. Anderson, for the respondent.

This appeal was heard at Vancouver, B.C., on January 8, 2008, by Newbury, Saunders and Frankel, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The decision of the Court of Appeal was delivered at Vancouver, B.C., on April 15, 2008, and the following reasons were filed:

Newbury, J.A. (Frankel, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 33;

Saunders, J.A., concurring - see paragraphs 34 to 39.