Boyd v. Harris (2004), 195 B.C.A.C. 217 (CA);
319 W.A.C. 217
MLB headnote and full text
Temp. Cite: [2004] B.C.A.C. TBEd. MR.078
Robert William Boyd (respondent/plaintiff) v. Michael Brent Harris (appellant/defendant)
(CA29934; 2004 BCCA 146)
Indexed As: Boyd v. Harris
British Columbia Court of Appeal
Low, Smith and Oppal, JJ.A.
March 15, 2004.
Summary:
The plaintiff sued the defendant for damages for personal injuries suffered as a result of an automobile accident. A jury found the defendant liable and assessed damages for nonpecuniary loss, past loss of income, loss of earning capacity and cost of future care. The defendant appealed the damages awarded for nonpecuniary loss and loss of earning capacity.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.
Damage Awards – Topic 180
Injury and death – Neck injuries – Fracture – The plaintiff, age 36, suffered a fractured neck and permanent spinal cord injury – Localized areas of muscle dysfunction; hypersensitivity in his hands and legs; neurological impairments; increased risk of arthritis in the neck, cysts in the spinal cord and depression; difficulty walking; constant pain in his neck and left shoulder; intermittent shooting pain in left arm; loss of dexterity in both hands and loss of strength in left hand – Spinal cord in neck now softening; fluid collecting in central part of spinal cord; spinal cord now atrophying and shrinking and accelerated disc degeneration at multiple levels – Now unemployable – Profound interference with his enjoyment of life – The British Columbia Court of Appeal affirmed a jury’s award of $225,000 general damages for nonpecuniary loss – See paragraphs 15 to 58.
Practice – Topic 8806
Appeals – General principles – Duty of appellate court regarding damage awards by a jury – The British Columbia Court of Appeal summarized the approach to appellate review of jury damage awards – See paragraphs 4 to 14.
Cases Noticed:
DaSilva v. Dudas (1989), 38 B.C.L.R.(2d) 104 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].
Vaillancourt v. Molnar Estate (2002), 176 B.C.A.C. 109; 290 W.A.C. 109; 8 B.C.L.R.(4th) 260; 31 M.V.R.(4th) 161; 2002 BCCA 685, refd to. [para. 5].
Cory et al. v. Marsh (1993), 22 B.C.A.C. 118; 38 W.A.C. 118; 77 B.C.L.R.(2d) 248 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].
Ferguson v. Lush (2003), 188 B.C.A.C. 118; 308 W.A.C. 118; 2003 BCCA 579, refd to. [para. 5].
K.L.B. et al. v. British Columbia et al. (2003), 309 N.R. 306; 187 B.C.A.C. 42; 307 W.A.C. 42; 18 B.C.L.R.(4th) 1; 19 C.C.L.T.(3d) 66; 230 D.L.R.(4th) 513; [2003] 11 W.W.R. 203; 2003 SCC 51, refd to. [para. 5].
M.B. v. British Columbia (2003), 309 N.R. 375; 187 B.C.A.C. 161; 307 W.A.C. 161; 18 B.C.L.R.(4th) 60; 19 C.C.L.T.(3d) 1; 230 D.L.R.(4th) 567; [2003] 11 W.W.R. 262; 2003 SCC 53, refd to. [para. 5].
Le v. Luz (2003), 189 B.C.A.C. 155; 309 W.A.C. 155; 2003 BCCA 640, refd to. [para. 5].
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. 6].
Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto and Manning, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130; 184 N.R. 1; 84 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 10].
Johns v. Thompson Horse Van Lines Ltd. (1984), 58 B.C.L.R. 273 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 12].
Geressy v. Digital Equipment Corp. (1997), 980 F. Supp. 640 (U.S. Dist. Ct.), refd to. [para. 12].
Foreman v. Foster (2001), 147 B.C.A.C. 254; 241 W.A.C. 254; 84 B.C.L.R.(3d) 184; 2001 BCCA 26, refd to. [para. 13].
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. 28].
Lindal v. Lindal, [1981] 2 S.C.R. 629; 39 N.R. 361; 34 B.C.L.R. 373, refd to. [para. 29].
Penso v. Solowan (1982), 35 B.C.L.R. 250 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].
Black v. Lemon (1983), 48 B.C.L.R. 145 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].
Bracchi v. Horsland (1983), 44 B.C.L.R. 100 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].
Leischner v. West Kootenay Power & Light Co. (1986), 24 D.L.R.(4th) 641 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].
Neuzen v. Korn, [1995] 3 S.C.R. 674; 188 N.R. 161; 64 B.C.A.C. 241; 105 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 30].
Brimacombe v. Matthews et al. (2001), 150 B.C.A.C. 71; 245 W.A.C. 71; 87 B.C.L.R.(3d) 75; 2001 BCCA 206, refd to. [para. 31].
Unger v. Singh et al. (2000), 133 B.C.A.C. 265; 217 W.A.C. 265; 72 B.C.L.R.(3d) 353; 2000 BCCA 94, consd. [para. 33].
Alden v. Spooner et al. (2002), 177 B.C.A.C. 105; 291 W.A.C. 105; 2002 BCCA 592, consd. [para. 35].
Fletcher v. Meyer, [1993] B.C.J. No. 508 (S.C.), consd. [para. 39].
Graham v. Rogers, [2002] B.C.T.C. Uned. 202; 2000 BCSC 605, consd. [para. 39].
Mirisklavos v. Manhas, [1996] B.C.J. No. 2038 (S.C.), consd. [para. 39].
Tom v. Truong, [2002] B.C.T.C. 643; 2002 BCSC 643, consd. [para. 39].
Yu v. Yu et al. (1999), 25 B.C.T.C. 360; 48 M.V.R.(3d) 285, consd. [para. 39].
Lowe v. Hardcastle, [1997] B.C.T.C. Uned. D22 (S.C.), consd. [para. 39].
Lynn v. Pearson, [1997] B.C.T.C. Uned. 641 (S.C.), consd. [para. 51].
Soligo v. Turner (2002), 164 B.C.A.C. 115; 268 W.A.C. 115; 2002 BCCA 73, affd. [2001] B.C.T.C. 205; 2001 BSCS 205, consd. [para. 52].
Santi v. Pacific National Exhibition, [2000] B.C.T.C. 292; 2000 BCSC 716, consd. [para. 53].
Reference Re Compulsory Arbitration, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 313; 74 N.R. 99; 78 A.R. 1; [1987] 3 W.W.R. 577, refd to. [para. 54].
Authors and Works Noticed:
Ontario, Law Reform Commission, Report on The Use of Jury Trials in Civil Cases (1996), p. 77 [para. 7].
Counsel:
S.B. Stewart and M. Wilhelmson, for the appellant;
D.K. Hori, for the respondent.
This appeal was heard in Vancouver, British Columbia, on November 14, 2003, before Low, Smith and Oppal, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The decision of the court was delivered on March 15, 2004, by Smith, J.A.
