Jomphe Estate et al. v. Dennis, (1998) 229 A.R. 55 (QBM)

• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta (Canada)
• Case Date: June 18, 1998
• Citations: (1998), 229 A.R. 55 (QBM)

Jomphe Estate v. Dennis (1998), 229 A.R. 55 (QBM)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1998] A.R. TBEd. JL.016

Yves Charles Eugene Jomphe, Administrator of the Estate of Johanne Marie Lise Jomphe, Michael Yves Jomphe, by his next friend, Yves Charles Eugene Jomphe, Jean Pierre Jomphe, by his next friend, Yves Charles Eugene Jomphe, Yves Charles Eugene Jomphe, Keith Boudreau and Mary Boudreau (plaintiffs) v. David Joseph Michael Dennis (defendant)

(9403-19537)

Indexed As: Jomphe Estate et al. v. Dennis

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench

Judicial District of Edmonton

Funduk, Master in Chambers

June 18, 1998.

Summary:

Dennis pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing the death of Johanne Jomphe. Jomphe's estate and family (the plaintiffs) commenced a civil action for damages against Dennis. The plaintiffs applied for summary judgment on the issue of liability leaving only the matter of damages for trial.

A Master of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench allowed the application and granted summary judgment finding Dennis liable.

Practice - Topic 5702

Judgments and orders - Summary judg­ments - Jurisdiction or when available - Dennis pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing the death of Johanne Jomphe (i.e., impairment by ingestion of drugs) - Jomphe's estate and family (the plaintiffs) commenced a civil action for damages against Dennis - The plaintiffs applied for summary judgment on the issue of liability - Dennis argued that summary judgment should not be granted because it remained open to him to argue at trial that he was incapable of committing negligence by reason of intoxication and to argue the defence of inevitable accident - A Master of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench held that there was no air of reality to any of the defences going to liability - The court granted summary judgment finding Dennis liable.

Cases Noticed:

Edmonton Savings and Credit Union Ltd. v. Weir, (1988) 86 A.R. 329 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 3].

R. v. Penno, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 865; 115 N.R. 249; 42 O.A.C. 271, refd to. [para. 7].

R. v. Honish (1991), 120 A.R. 223; 8 W.A.C. 223 (C.A.), affd. [1993] 1 S.C.R. 458; 149 N.R. 214; 135 A.R. 334; 33 W.A.C. 334, refd to. [para. 7].

Kuin v. 238682 Alberta Ltd. et al. (1997), 211 A.R. 161; 56 Alta. L.R.(3d) 329 (Q.B. Master), refd to. [para. 10].

Donoghue v. Stevenson, [1932] A.C. 562, refd to. [para. 12].

Wenden v. Trikha et al. (1992), 116 A.R. 81 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 19].

Wenden v. Trikha et al. (1991), 118 A.R. 319 (Q.B.), affd. 14 C.C.L.T.(2d) 225 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 19].

Rintoul v. X-Ray and Radium Industries Ltd., [1956] S.C.R. 674, refd to. [para. 23].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Charlesworth and Percy on Negligence (8th Ed.) pp. 3 to 10 [para. 11]; 11 [paras. 11, 12, 15]; 12 [paras. 11, 12]; 13 to 15 [para. 11]; 16 [paras. 11, 13]; 17 [para. 11]; 241 to 243 [para. 23].

Fleming, The Law of Torts (8th Ed.) pp. 123-124 [para. 11].

Linden, Canadian Tort Law (5th Ed.), pp. 117 to 119 [para. 16]; 128 [para. 17]; 133 [paras. 18, 22]; 134 [para. 18]; 254, 255 [para. 23].

Counsel:

J.R. McClelland (Johnson McClelland), for the plaintiffs;

P.B. Michalyshyn (Chatwin Cox Michaly­shyn), for the defendant.

This case was heard before Funduk, Master in Chambers, of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, who delivered the following decision on June 18, 1998.