Kern v. Steele, (2003) 220 N.S.R.(2d) 51 (CA)

• Judge: Bateman, Cromwell and Oland, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: December 23, 2003
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (2003), 220 N.S.R.(2d) 51 (CA);2003 NSCA 147

Kern v. Steele (2003), 220 N.S.R.(2d) 51 (CA);

 694 A.P.R. 51

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2003] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. DE.048

Lisa Anne Meredith Kern (appellant/cross-respondent) v. Darrell J. Steele and Theresa W. Steele (respondents/cross-appellants)

(CA 189894; 2003 NSCA 147)

Indexed As: Kern v. Steele

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Bateman, Cromwell and Oland, JJ.A.

December 23, 2003.

Summary:

The 25 year old plaintiff was injured in 1994 when the vehicle in which she was a passenger was struck from behind by the defendant motor vehicle driver. The plaintiff brought a negligence action for damages against the defendants (driver and owner).

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court, in a judgment reported (2002), 207 N.S.R.(2d) 116; 649 A.P.R. 116, found the defendants driver negligent and solely at fault. The court awarded $60,000 general damages for nonpecuniary loss, $121,409 for pre-trial lost income, $318,440 for loss of earning capacity, $7,800 for cost of future care and $15,000 for loss of housekeeping capacity. The plaintiff appealed the damage awards for nonpecuniary loss and for loss of earning capacity. The defendants cross-appealed, submitting that the plaintiff failed to prove that her fibromyalgia was caused by or contributed to by the accident. The defendants challenged the damage awards for nonpecuniary loss, past and future loss of income and loss of housekeeping capacity.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, Cromwell, J.A., dissenting in part, allowed the appeal to the limited extent of removing the negative 25% contingency reducing damages for lost future earning capacity for failure to mitigate. There was no failure to follow recommended medical treatment resulting in a failure to mitigate. The court dismissed the defendants' cross-appeal.

Damage Awards - Topic 11

Injury and death - General - Continuing pain (incl. fibromyalgia, myofascial and chronic pain) - The 25 year old female plaintiff suffered psychological and physical injuries in a 1994 motor vehicle accident - She suffered extreme cognitive deficits from 1995-1996, including memory loss, confusion, sleep deprivation, nightmares and personality changes - She continued to have depressive symptoms, dissociative reactions, pain and chronic fatigue - Although the psychological effects had gradually improved, her physical condition worsened - The plaintiff developed fibromyalgia and regional myofascial pain - It was unlikely that the plaintiff's condition or ability to manage her pain would permit gainful employment - The injuries precluded the plaintiff from pursuing her chosen career in the printing industry - Although her "base pain" was not severe enough to disable her, when her pain flared up (from every other day to two weeks apart), the severe pain was totally debilitating - The trial judge awarded $60,000 general damage for nonpecuniary loss - The plaintiff submitted that the award was inordinately low - The defendants submitted that it was too high - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal held that the trial judge did not commit any error warranting the court's intervention - See paragraphs 44 to 54.

Damage Awards - Topic 201

Injury and death - Psychological injuries - Emotional reaction causing mental or physical symptoms - [See Damage Awards - Topic 11 ].

Damage Awards - Topic 203

Injury and death - Psychological injuries - Personality change - [See Damage Awards - Topic 11 ].

Damage Awards - Topic 492

Injury and death - General damage awards - Loss of earning capacity - A 1994 motor vehicle accident resulted in severe psychological and physical injuries to the 25 year old female plaintiff, who had just finished training for and was attempting to find work in the printing industry - Her present pain from fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain precluded her from working in her chosen field - The trial judge awarded $318,440 damages for loss of future earning capacity based on actuarial evidence of earnings in the printing industry - Assessed damages of $979,812 for loss of future earning capacity were reduced to the $318,440 awarded on application of (1) a negative 35% contingency for the uncertainty of obtaining successful employment in the printing industry; (2) a further negative 25% contingency for the real possibility (beyond the speculative) of the plaintiff's health improving sufficiently in the future to permit her to obtain some employment; and (3) a further negative 25% contingency for failing to mitigate (failure to undergo recommended treatment) - The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part - The trial judge did not err in failing to make a global award rather than an actuarial approach - There was no error in applying the first two contingencies - However, the court set aside the negative 25% contingency for failure to mitigate, thereby increasing the damage award to $477,659 - There was no failure to follow a recommended course of treatment and, therefore, no failure to mitigate - See paragraphs 55 to 112.

Damages - Topic 1011

Mitigation - In tort - Personal injuries - Treatment for - [See Damage Awards - Topic 492 ].

Damages - Topic 1556

General damages - General damages for personal injury - Calculation and method of assessment - Contingencies - Deduction for - [See Damage Awards - Topic 492 ].

Cases Noticed:

Binder v. Mardo Construction Ltd. et al. (1994), 129 N.S.R.(2d) 64; 362 A.P.R. 64 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 36].

Athey v. Leonati et al., [1996] 3 S.C.R. 458; 203 N.R. 36; 81 B.C.A.C. 243; 132 W.A.C. 243, refd to. [para. 42].

Woelk v. Halvorson (1980), 33 N.R. 232; 24 A.R. 620; 114 D.L.R.(3d) 385 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 43].

Smith v. Stubbert (1992), 117 N.S.R.(2d) 118; 324 A.P.R. 118 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 44].

Hendsbee v. Chiasson et al. (1994), 132 N.S.R.(2d) 241; 376 A.P.R. 241 (S.C.), affd. (1995), 139 N.S.R.(2d) 217; 397 A.P.R. 217 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Binder v. Mardo Construction Ltd. et al. (1994), 136 N.S.R.(2d) 20; 388 A.P.R. 20 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Woods v. Hubley (1995), 146 N.S.R.(2d) 97; 422 A.P.R. 97 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

White v. Slawter (1996), 149 N.S.R.(2d) 321; 432 A.P.R. 321 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Dillon v. Kelly (1996), 150 N.S.R.(2d) 102; 436 A.P.R. 102 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Elliott v. Nicholson (1998), 171 N.S.R.(2d) 252; 519 A.P.R. 252 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 45].

Marinelli et al. v. Keigan et al. (1999), 173 N.S.R.(2d) 56; 527 A.P.R. 56 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Day v. Rice, [1999] N.S.J. No. 254 (S.C.), affd. [2000] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 5 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Mallett v. McMonagle, [1970] A.C. 166 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 56].

Naylor Group Inc. v. Ellis-Don Construction Ltd., [2001] 2 S.C.R. 943; 277 N.R. 1; 153 O.A.C. 341, refd to. [para. 56].

MacKay v. Rovers et al. (1987), 79 N.S.R.(2d) 237; 196 A.P.R. 237 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 56].

Schrump et al. v. Koot et al. (1977), 82 D.L.R.(3d) 553 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 57].

Graham et al. v. Rourke (1990), 40 O.A.C. 301; 75 O.R.(2d) 622 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 58].

Andrews et al. v. Grand & Toy (Alberta) Ltd. et al., [1978] 2 S.C.R. 229; 19 N.R. 50; 8 A.R. 182, refd to. [para. 59].

Haines v. Bellissimo (1977), 82 D.L.R.(3d) 215 (Ont. H.C.), refd to. [para. 64].

Keizer v. Hanna and Buch, [1978] 2 S.C.R. 342; 19 N.R. 209, refd to. [para. 66].

Gaudet v. Doucet et al. (1991), 101 N.S.R.(2d) 309; 275 A.P.R. 309 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 69].

Miller v. Folkertsma Farms Ltd. et al. (2001), 197 N.S.R.(2d) 282; 616 A.P.R. 282 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 71].

Housen v. Nikolaisen et al., [2002] 2 S.C.R. 235; 286 N.R. 1; 219 Sask.R. 1; 272 W.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 93].

Delgamuukw et al. v. British Columbia et al., [1997] 3 S.C.R. 1010; 220 N.R 161; 99 B.C.A.C. 161; 162 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 93].

R. v. MacDonald (R.A.) (1988), 83 N.S.R.(2d) 293; 210 A.P.R. 293 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 96].

Angelucci v. Dartmouth Cable T.V. Ltd. and Clarke (1996), 155 N.S.R.(2d) 81; 457 A.P.R. 81 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 96].

Dean v. Brown (2002), 209 N.S.R.(2d) 70; 656 A.P.R. 70 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 96].

Jones v. Great Western Railway Co. (1930), 47 T.L.R. 39 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 98].

Caswell v. Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Ltd., [1940] A.C. 152 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 98].

R. v. German (1979), 33 N.S.R.(2d) 565; 57 A.P.R. 565 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 98].

Parlee v. McFarlane (1999), 210 N.B.R.(2d) 284; 536 A.P.R. 284 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 98].

Lee v. Jacobson et al. (1994), 53 B.C.A.C. 75; 87 W.A.C. 75 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 98].

Janiak v. Ippolito (1985), 57 N.R. 241; 9 O.A.C. 1; 16 D.L.R.(4th) 1 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 104].

Michaels et al. v. Red Deer College, [1976] 2 S.C.R. 324; 5 N.R. 99, refd to. [para. 104].

Leddicote v. Nova Scotia (Attorney General) et al. (2002), 203 N.S.R.(2d) 271; 635 A.P.R. 271 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 113].

Lindal v. Lindal, [1981] 2 S.C.R. 629; 39 N.R. 361, refd to. [para. 125].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Cooper-Stephenson, Kenneth D., Personal Injury Damages in Canada (2nd Ed. 1996), pp. 378 [para. 59]; 379 [para. 61].

Halsbury's Laws of England (4th Ed. 1975), vol. 12, pp. 437 [para. 56]; 483, 484 [para. 58].

Counsel:

R. Malcolm Macleod, Q.C., and Robert K. Dickson, for the appellant/cross-respondent;

Philip M. Chapman, W. Augustus Richardson and Margot J. Ferguson, for the respondents/cross-appellants.

This appeal and cross-appeal were heard on May 27-28, 2003, at Halifax, N.S., before Bateman, Cromwell and Oland, JJ.A., of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.

On December 23, 2003, the judgment of the Court of Appeal was delivered and the following opinions were filed:

Oland, J.A. (Bateman, J.A., concurring) - see paragraphs 1 to 115;

Cromwell, J.A., dissenting in part - see paragraphs 116 to 129.