Smith v. Agnew,

• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Judge: Drapeau, Larlee and Robertson, JJ.A.
• Neutral Citation: 2001 NBCA 83
• Citation: 2001 NBCA 83,(2001), 240 N.B.R.(2d) 63 (CA),240 NBR (2d) 63,[2001] CarswellNB 275,[2001] NBJ No 282 (QL),622 APR 63,240 NBR(2d) 63,(2001), 240 NBR(2d) 63 (CA),[2001] N.B.J. No 282 (QL),240 N.B.R.(2d) 63,622 A.P.R. 63
• Date: 10 August 2001
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)

Smith v. Agnew (2001), 240 N.B.R.(2d) 63 (CA);

    240 R.N.-B.(2e) 63; 622 A.P.R. 63

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [2001] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. AU.005

Michael G. Agnew and Cedric Agnew Esq. (defendants/appellants) v. Douglas Smith Esq. and Margaret Smith (plaintiffs/respondents)

(233/2000/CA; 2001 NBCA 83)

Indexed As: Smith v. Agnew

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Drapeau, Larlee and Robertson, JJ.A.

August 10, 2001.

Summary:

The plaintiff and his wife were in­volved in an automobile accident. The plain­tiff applied for advance payment of special damages which he suffered and would con­tinue to suffer as a result of the accident (Insurance Act, s. 265.6).

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, in a decision reported 238 N.B.R.(2d) 7; 617 A.P.R. 7, allowed the appli­ca­tion. The defendant appealed. The plaintiff cross-appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and dismissed the cross-appeal.

Editor's note: for a related decision see [2000] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 87.

Practice - Topic 5205

Trials - Severance of issues - Advance payment of special damages - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal reviewed the scope and purpose of s. 265.6 of the In­surance Act which allowed a plain­tiff in a personal injury action to apply for advance payment of special damages suffered as a result of an accident - See paragraphs 1 to 80.

Practice - Topic 5205

Trials - Severance of issues - Advance payment of special damages - Section 265.6 of the Insurance Act allowed a plain­tiff in a personal injury action to apply for advance payment of special damages suffered as a result of an accident - In reviewing the scope and purpose of this section, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal stated that an order "may be made whenever the court is judicially satisfied on the evidence that the plaintiff will more likely than not prove at trial that the de­fendant is liable for the special damages in question" - The plaintiff would have met that standard if the motions judge was more than 50% certain that the defendant's liability for the special damages would be established at trial - See paragraph 66.

Practice - Topic 5205

Trials - Severance of issues - Advance payment of special damages - The plain­tiff in a personal injury action applied for advance payment of special damages he suffered and would continue to suffer as a result of the accident (Insurance Act, s. 265.6) - In allowing the motion, the trial judge noted that s. 265.6(1) "was 'to bring some interim relief ... in situations where there is a likelihood of liability on the part of the defendant who was in­sured'" - In this case, although the defen­dants denied liability, there was no evi­dence before the court to show that the events leading to the accident were differ­ent from those de­scribed by the plaintiff - The court awarded the plaintiff $2,300 per month on the first of each month from January to June 2001, and a lump sum payment of $13,800, representing $2,300 per month for July to December, 2000 - On appeal, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal reduced the award to provide a lump sum of $8,400, and installments of $1,400 per month.

Cases Noticed:

Parlee v. McFarlane (1999), 210 N.B.R.(2d) 284; 536 A.P.R. 284 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 3].

ADI Ltd. v. 052987 N.B. Inc. et al. (2000), 232 N.B.R.(2d) 47; 598 A.P.R. 47 (C.A.), leave to appeal denied [2001] S.C.C.A. No. 48, refd to. [para. 3].

Myshrall v. Vu (1994), 156 N.B.R.(2d) 241; 401 A.P.R. 241 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 5].

Sunnucks v. Tobique Valley Hospital et al. (1995), 167 N.B.R.(2d) 139; 427 A.P.R. 139 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 8].

Day & Ross Inc. v. Randall et al. (2001), 236 N.B.R.(2d) 317; 611 A.P.R. 317 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 15].

Roy v. St-Pierre et al. (1999), 208 N.B.R.(2d) 92; 531 A.P.R. 92 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 22].

Johnston et al. v. Nixon et al. (1995), 165 N.B.R.(2d) 305; 424 A.P.R. 305 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 22].

Bernier v. Boudreau (1999), 215 N.B.R.(2d) 208; 551 A.P.R. 208 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 25].

Dionne v. Desjardins et al. (1999), 214 N.B.R.(2d) 380; 547 A.P.R. 380 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 32].

Rizzo & Rizzo Shoes Ltd. (Bankrupt), Re, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 27; 221 N.R. 241; 106 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 32].

Avon Canada Inc. v. British Columbia (Minister of Finance) (1986), 33 D.L.R.(4th) 154 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 34].

Colborne Capital Corp. et al. v. 542775 Alberta Ltd. et al. (1996), 184 A.R. 63; 122 W.A.C. 63 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

Breen v. MacIntosh et al., [2001] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 59 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 45].

Estey v. Lockerbie et al. (1999), 214 N.B.R.(2d) 17; 547 A.P.R. 17 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 46].

Reynolds v. Dunnett (1996), 173 N.B.R.(2d) 30; 441 A.P.R. 30 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 48].

Harvey Foods Ltd. v. Reid (1971), 3 N.B.R.(2d) 444 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 49].

Waugh et al. v. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. et al. (2000), 224 N.B.R.(2d) 391; 574 A.P.R. 391 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 50].

Melanson v. Fraser (2001), 236 N.B.R.(2d) 108; 611 A.P.R. 108 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 52].

H. et al., Re, [1996] 1 All E.R. 1; 192 N.R. 52 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 58].

Shearson Lehman Brothers Inc. v. Maclaine, Watson & Co., [1987] 1 W.L.R. 480 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 60].

Ricci Burns Ltd. v. Toole and another, [1989] 3 All E.R. 478 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 60].

Harmon CFEM Façades (UK) Ltd. v. Corporate Officer of the House of Com­mons, [2000] All E.R. (D) 1046 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 60].

Ripulone v. Pontecorvo (1989), 104 N.B.R.(2d) 56; 261 A.P.R. 56 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 61].

Cannon v. Lange et al. (1998), 203 N.B.R.(2d) 121; 518 A.P.R. 121 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 61].

R. v. Proulx (J.K.D.), [2000] 1 S.C.R. 61; 249 N.R. 201; 142 Man.R.(2d) 161; 212 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 62].

Shanning International Ltd. v. George Wimpey International Ltd., [1988] 3 All E.R. 475 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 67].

Watts v. Moore, The Times (June 3, 1988), refd to. [para. 76].

Scott v. Renton et al. (1999), 215 N.B.R.(2d) 263; 551 A.P.R. 263 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 78].

Boucher v. Doiron (2000), 230 N.B.R.(2d) 247; 593 A.P.R. 247 (C.A.), leave to appeal denied (2001), 271 N.R. 396 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 78].

Statutes Noticed:

Insurance Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. I-12, sect. 248(1), sect. 248(3), sect. 248(4), sect. 263(2), sect. 265.2(1), sect. 265.3(1), sect. 265.4(1), sect. 265.5(1) [para. 33]; sect. 265.6(1), sect. 265.6(2), sect. 265.6(3), sect. 265.6(4) [para. 31].

Judicature Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. J-2, sect. 7(2), sect. 26(9) [para. 33].

Rules of Court (N.B.), rule 47.03(3) [para. 30].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Civil Procedure, vol. 1, p. 431 [para. 76].

Cooper-Stephenson, Kenneth D., and Saun­ders, Iwan B., Personal Injury Damages in Canada (2nd Ed. 1996), pp. 129, 130 [para. 49].

Nova Scotia, Law Reform Commission, Discussion Paper, Interim Payment of Damages, generally [para. 57].

Counsel:

Thomas G. O'Neil, Q.C., and M. Shane Dugas, for the appellants;

George A. McAllister, for the respondents.

This appeal and cross-appeal were heard on April 17, 2001, before Drapeau, Larlee and Robertson, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.

The decision of the Court of Appeal was delivered on August 10, 2001, by Drapeau, J.A.