Punitive and Aggravated Damages in Personal Injury Awards: Who Pays, How Much, and under What Circumstances

• Author: Alf Kwinter
• Pages: 93-112



PunitiveandAggravatedDamages

inPersonalInjuryAwards

WhoPaysHowMuchandunderWhat

Circumstances

Alf Kwinter*

A. INTRODUCTION

Beforeembarkingonadiscussionastotheavailabilityandquantumof

punitiveandaggravateddamagesinpersonalinjurycasesIbelieveit

mightbeofassistancetosomereadersofthispapertoexplainthedis-

tinctionbetweenthesetwoheadsofdamages

TheNovaScotiaCourtofAppealdealtwiththedistinctionbetween

punitiveandaggravateddamagesinRGBvHolleThiswasacase

involvingathirteenyearoldgirlwhohadbeenconnedtoaresidential

schoolrunbytheprovinceAsexualrelationshipdevelopedbetween

her and a counsellor at the school The coun sellor eventually ceased

workattheschoolassistedthegirltoescapeandconvincedhertostay

athishousewhereheabusedheremotionallyphysicallyandsexually

SheclaimedbothaggravatedandpunitivedamagesThecourtquotes

WaddamsThe Law of Damages

 MrKwinterfoundedthermSingerKwinterwithMorrisSingerinHeiscer-

tiedasaSpecialistincivillitigationbyTheLawSocietyofUpperCanadaLSUC

andisapastdirectoroftheAdvocatesSocietyHeisamemberoftheOntarioTrial

LawyersAssociationOTLAtheAdvocatesSocietytheCanadianBarAssociation

CBAtheAssociationofTrialLawyersofAmericaandtheAmericanBarAssocia-

tionHehastaughttrialpracticeintheBarAdmissionCourseandhasbeeninvited

tospeakatandchairnumerousprogramssponsoredbytheAdvocatesSociety

OTLACBAandtheLSUC

 DLRthNSCA

AK

Anexceptionexiststothegeneralrulethatdamagesarecompensatory

Thisisthecaseofanawardmadeforthepurposenotofcompensating

theplaintibutofpunishingthedefendantSuchawardshavebeen

calledexemplaryvindictivepenalpunitiveaggravatedandretribu-

torybuttheexpressionsincommonmodernusetodescribedamages

goingbeyondcompensatoryareexemplaryandpunitive damages

Theexpressionaggravateddamagesthoughithassometimesbeen

usedinterchangeablywithpunitiveorexemplarydamageshasmore

frequentlyinrecenttimesbeencontrastedwithexemplarydamages

In this contrast ing sense, aggravated d amagesdescribe an award t hat

aimsatcompensationbuttakesfullaccountoftheintangibleinjuries

suchasdistressandhumiliationthatmayhavebeencausedbythe

defendantsinsultingbehaviourTheexpressionvindictivepenaland

retributoryhavedroppedoutofcommonuse

Thefundamentaldierencebetweenaggravatedandpunitivedam-

agesisdealtwithbytheSupremeCourtofCanadainNorberg v. Wyn-

ribThiscaseinvolvedaclaimbyapatientagainstherfamilydoctor

The patient had become addictedto c ertain prescription medication s

ThedoctoroeredherthesedrugsinexchangeforsexualfavoursThe

plaintisclaimhadbeendismissedbythetrialcourtandbytheBrit-

ishColumbiaCourtofAppealTheSupremeCourtofCanadaawarded

general including aggravatedda magesa s wella s punitive damages

TheCourtnotes

Aggravateddamagesmaybeawardedifthebaeryhasoccurredin

humiliating or u ndignied circumstances T hese damages are not

awardedinadditiontogeneraldamagesRathergeneraldamagesare

assessedtakingintoaccountanyaggravatingfeaturesofthecaseand

tothatextentincreasingtheamountawardedseeN.(J.L.) v. L.(A.M.)

CCLTManQBatpperLockwoodJThesemust

bedistinguishedfrompunitiveorexemplarydamagesThelaerare

awardedtopunishthedefendantandtomakeanexampleofhimor

herinordertodeterothersfromcommiingthesametortseeLinden

Canadian Tort LawthedatppInVorvis v. Insurance Cor-

poration of British ColumbiaSCRatppMcIntyreJ

thussetforththecircumstanceswherethedefendantsconductwould

meritpunishment

 Ibid. atparacitingSMWaddamsThe Law of DamagesdedTorontoCanada

LawBookemphasisadded

 SCR