Thousands of people present at emergency departments in Ontario yearly with complaints of back pain. While most people are discharged and sent home, many are admitted with severe disabling pain. Most people having an acute episode of back pain eventually heal but many are not so lucky and go on to suffer chronic and often […]
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If income tax was not deducted when issuing the STD and LTD payments, then the benefits will be taxed. The CRA released a new guideline for business incorporation and employers in January 2015 that required all employers to ensure STD and LTD payments are taxed during issuing. Employees who receive benefits no longer have to […]
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Have you ever woken up in the morning to find that you still have neck or back pain, even weeks after first getting hurt? Your doctor may advise you to seek help when pain is chronic, but just what makes your type of pain chronic to begin with? According to the National Institutes of Health, […]
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When you injure yourself in a slip and fall accident, you want to be able to get the help you need. With medical bills and job responsibilities looming over your head, it is essential that you get back on your feet as soon as you can. Falls are the leading cause of injury in Canada, […]
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Depression is a condition that affects many people. This illness can cause many side effects, such as despondency and the lack of motivation to get through everyday life. Because of this, depression can affect both your personal life and your work life. Without a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, depression can have serious consequences in […]
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A car accident is a serious event that can cost the driver a lot of time and money. Car accidents usually result in damage to property and can even result in injury or death. Although car insurance can cover a portion of these costs, many times, you are left with additional costs and expenses that […]
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It is no longer a secret that insurance companies are searching for that “smoking gun” on social networking websites to refute injury and disability claims. Indeed, what better refutation is there than a photograph showing the insured engaging in an activity inconsistent with the injury or disability which they allege? However, what few know is […]
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Introduction In this first part of our two part installment, we explore the various factors that need to be considered when making a long-term disability claim. First, we start by looking at some disability insurance concepts, particularly the interpretation of “total disability” followed by the distinction between coverage based on “own occupation” and “any occupation”. […]
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The last six years saw Ontario courts award record-breaking damages to plaintiffs for their traumatic brain injuries. For example, in Marcoccia v Gill [2008]¸ the plaintiff suffered a severe traumatic brain injury to the frontal lobe in a motor vehicle accident. Marcoccia, who was 20 years old at the time of the accident, was left […]
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Pastore v Aviva Canada Inc (2012) is the latest in a trilogy of cases by the Ontario Court of Appeal relating to the important definition of catastrophic impairment. The court ruled that only one marked or extreme functional impairment due to a mental or behavioral disorder is necessary to qualify accident victims for enhanced catastrophic […]
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