IRCC’s Chinook Program: Winds of Change

Learn of the debate surrounding a new IRCC operational procedure Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the government department that facilitates immigration to Canada and Canadian refugee claims. Some immigration officers use a computer program known as ‘Chinook’ to generate a final decision and reasons more quickly and in a different manner than was done previously. The program was developed in March 2018 by immigration officers and personnel who had a computer science background. It was developed entirely in-house meaning it was created within the organization with no outside help. The reason for developing the program appears to have…

Read More

Semih v. Aviva Ins. Co., 2022 CanLII 27252 (ON LAT)

Another Example of Chronic Pain and Removal from MIG In this case, the Applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) on January 25, 2018. He sought med-rehab benefits (among other benefits) from the Respondent insurer, Aviva. The Respondent denied his claim for med-rehab benefits beyond the Minor Injury Guidelines (“MIG”) on the basis that his injuries were predominantly minor in nature. The Applicant disagreed with the Respondent’s denial and brought the dispute before the Licence Appeal Tribunal (“LAT”). In the final result, the LAT member who heard his application decided that the Applicant was entitled to med-rehab benefits…

Read More

Agents and Civil Liability

Learn about legal proceedings between principals, agents and third parties Everyone has heard of a type of professional called an ‘agent,’ whether it be a real-estate agent, insurance agent, broker, auctioneer, mercantile agent, del credere agent or otherwise. What they share in common – the meaning of the word agent – is that they are parties to a legal relationship with an individual called a principal, such that they have the authority to change the principal’s legal position – for example, by the making of contracts between a third party and the principal or by disposing of the principal’s property.…

Read More

Consequences for Unreasonable Delay

Explore What May Happen if an Insurance Company Unreasonably Delays Payment This issue was the central focus of the recent decision of the License and Appeal Tribunal (“Tribunal”) called Blas v. Aviva Insurance Canada.[1] Ms. B was injured in a MVA on August 24, 2017. She sought statutory accident benefits from Aviva. Aviva denied most of her requested benefits on the grounds that they were not reasonable and necessary. Ms. B applied to the Tribunal for dispute resolution. An applicant has the onus of proving that the proposed treatment, its goals and cost, are all reasonable and necessary.[2] The particular…

Read More

Procedural Fairness in LAT Proceedings

Find out about some examples where an insurance company failed to meet the minimal requirements of fairness Lockyear v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company[1] is a recent case where an appeal to the Superior Court of Justice, from a decision of the License Appeal Tribunal (LAT) rejecting the insured’s application to be designated as catastrophically impaired, was granted on the basis that the LAT hearing and reconsideration breached the duty of procedural fairness. Procedural fairness is recognized by the courts as a central principle of Canadian administrative law. Procedural fairness refers to the right to be heard, for someone to participate…

Read More

Challenging a MIG Determination

Discover Limits to the Tribunal’s Jurisdiction or Ability to Hear This Issue A recent case, Bobak v. Travelers Insurance[1], explored whether the License Appeal Tribunal (“Tribunal”) has jurisdiction over a matter in which the above issue is the only issue in dispute. Mr. B was injured in a MVA on September 16, 2017. He sought statutory accident benefits from Travelers Insurance. Travelers denied his claims. He challenged this denial to the License Appeal Tribunal (Tribunal). The issue in the proceeding is whether Mr. B’s injuries fall within the definition of the Minor Injury Guideline (MIG). However, the insurance company brought…

Read More

Lacroix v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, 2021 ONLAT 20-004333 (CanLII) – Case Comment

Learn more about a recent case that illustrates a number of topics I have discussed recently in my blog posts – exceptions to the MIG limits In Lacroix v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance[1], the Applicant Mr. L had been injured in a motor vehicle accident on January 17, 2017 and applied for statutory accident benefits from Wawanesa Mutual Insurance (“Wawanesa”). The mechanics of the accident was that he was travelling through an intersection facing a green light when a vehicle in the opposing lane of traffic suddenly turned left and collided with his vehicle. In particular, Mr. L claimed: $2,148.93 for…

Read More

Traumatic Brain Injury

Location and Definition A traumatic brain injury (or TBI) is an injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, which can have temporary or permanent cognitive, behavioral and/or physical impairments. The brain consists of the cerebellum, brainstem, corpus collosum and four lobes (frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital). Function The frontal lobe is responsible for motor planning, motor movement, executive functions, personality and memory. The parietal lobe is responsible for goal-directed voluntary movement, spatial and touch perception, visual attention and perception, integration of sense and manipulation of objects. The temporal lobe is responsible for understanding language, sequencing, organization, memory…

Read More

Procedural Fairness in LAT Proceedings

Find out about some examples where an insurance company failed to meet the minimal requirements of fairness Lockyear v. Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company[1] is a recent case where an appeal to the Superior Court of Justice, from a decision of the License Appeal Tribunal (LAT) rejecting the insured’s application to be designated as catastrophically impaired, was granted on the basis that the LAT hearing and reconsideration breached the duty of procedural fairness. Procedural fairness is recognized by the courts as a central principle of Canadian administrative law. Procedural fairness refers to the right to be heard, for someone to participate…

Read More

Spinal Injuries

Location and Definition The spine consists of 33 vertebrae (or bones) and runs from the base of the skull to the tailbone (called the coccyx). It is divided into five functional areas: cervical spine, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal. Function The spinal cord transmits motor information from the brain to the muscles and transmits sensory information from the skin, joints etc. to the brain. The spinal cord can also produce responses (called reflexes) by receiving sensory messages and sending motor messages without any input from the brain. Injuries The spinal cord can be injured at any point along its axis.…

Read More