Singh v. Swift, (1996) 156 N.S.R.(2d) 194 (SC)

• Judge: Gruchy, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: December 03, 1996
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1996), 156 N.S.R.(2d) 194 (SC)

Singh v. Swift (1996), 156 N.S.R.(2d) 194 (SC);

    461 A.P.R. 194

MLB headnote and full text

Avtar Singh (plaintiff) v. Susan Swift and James Swift (defendants)

(S.H. No. 104305)

Indexed As: Singh v. Swift

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

Gruchy, J.

December 3, 1996.

Summary:

The plaintiff motor vehicle driver was rear-ended by the defendant motor vehicle driver. The plaintiff brought a negligence action for damages for personal injuries. The defendant driver and owner admitted liabil­ity.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court assessed damages accordingly.

Damage Awards - Topic 11

Injury and death - Continuing pain (chro­nic pain syndrome) - A 50 year old taxi driver suffered a soft tissue injury in a minor rear-end motor vehicle collision in 1991 - The plaintiff continued to complain of pain in his shoulder, back, leg and right arm - No physical basis for continued pain - Medical opinions based on plaintiff's subjective complaints - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court held that videotaped sur­veillance disclosed that the plaintiff was exaggerating the extent of his pain and his inability to work - The plaintiff also failed to advise the doctor of previous back problems - The court, accepting that the plaintiff had some pain and would con­tinue to suffer from some pain, assessed $35,000 general damages for nonpecuniary loss - See paragraphs 50 to 55.

Damage Awards - Topic 178

Injury and death - Neck injuries - Whip­lash - [See Damage Awards - Topic 11 ].

Damages - Topic 1415

Special damages - Loss of wages - Evi­dence and proof - The plaintiff taxi driver sued for damages for injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident - The plaintiff provided no reliable information as to his earnings and kept no receipts for medical and drug expenses incurred - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court stated that it could not, on the evidence provided, assess the plaintiff's loss for past and future earnings or past and future care costs - According­ly, the court stated that the amount of general damages awarded for nonpecuniary loss included an amount to compensate for those items - See paragraphs 49 to 55.

Damages - Topic 1440

Special damages - Medical and hospital - [See Damages - Topic 1415 ].

Damages - Topic 1550

General damages - Personal injury - Prospective loss of wages or earnings - [See Damages - Topic 1415 ].

Damages - Topic 1567

General damages - Personal injury - Future care and treatment - [See Damages - Topic 1415 ].

Cases Noticed:

Smith v. Stubbert (1992), 117 N.S.R.(2d) 118; 324 A.P.R. 118 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 52].

Baxter v. Oakley (1985), 66 N.S.R.(2d) 45; 152 A.P.R. 45 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 52].

Bush v. Air Canada (1991), 103 N.S.R.(2d) 308; 282 A.P.R. 308 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Berrigan v. Wallace (1987), 76 N.S.R.(2d) 439; 189 A.P.R. 439 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Blotnicky and Blotnicky v. Oliver (1988), 84 N.S.R.(2d) 14; 213 A.P.R. 14 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Faulkner v. Inglis and Barkhouse (1989), 94 N.S.R.(2d) 411; 247 A.P.R. 411 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Donaldson and Thibault v. Mosher (1988), 88 N.S.R.(2d) 148; 225 A.P.R. 148 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Kochan v. Brunswick Construction Ltd. and Beaulieu (1987), 78 N.B.R.(2d) 376; 198 A.P.R. 376 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 52].

MacMullin v. Beveridge (1990), 95 N.S.R.(2d) 181; 251 A.P.R. 181 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Fulton v. East Coast Oilfield Services Ltd. and Roberts (1991), 108 N.S.R.(2d) 18; 294 A.P.R. 18 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 52].

LeBlanc v. LeBlanc (1992), 128 N.B.R.(2d) 292; 322 A.P.R. 292; 34 A.C.W.S.(3d) 249 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Brown v. Matheson and von Kintzel (1990), 97 N.S.R.(2d) 428; 258 A.P.R. 428 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

Woods v. Hubley (1995), 140 N.S.R.(2d) 180; 399 A.P.R. 180 (S.C.), varied (1995), 146 N.S.R.(2d) 97; 422 A.P.R. 97 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 53].

Counsel:

Colin D. Bryson, for the plaintiff;

W. Dale Dunlop, for the defendants.

This action was heard on August 13-16, 1996, at Halifax, N.S., before Gruchy, J., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, who delivered the following judgment on De­cember 3, 1996.