Ms. Brun’s letter of October 30, 2017, addressed to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and respecting the present judicial shortage in British Columbia, gained substantial traction. Ms. Brun was interviewed by Mr. Keith Fraser, reporter for the Vancouver Sun, and quoted in an article published online on December 22, 2017, and in print on December 23, 2017, which can be read here: http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-s-supreme-shortage-of-judges-courts-public-concern. More recently, Ms. Brun received the following personal response from The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P., on February 9, 2018, which is very much appreciated: Dear Ms. Brun: Thank you for…
October 30, 2017 Department of Justice 284 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8 Attention: The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Dear Minister Wilson-Raybould: Re: Appointment of Supreme Court Justices in British Columbia I am a barrister carrying on business at Harris & Brun Law Corporation on West Georgia Street in the City of Vancouver. Our firm is a well-established civil litigation boutique of a modest 12 lawyers. Over the past several weeks I have spent numerous hours preparing for a trial that was scheduled to commence today in the Supreme…
In 2013, the new Family Law Act, S.B.C. 2011, c. 25 came into force. This Act sought to take away the sting of words like “custody” and “access” and instead be child-focused. The act re-framed matters so that we do not talk about a parent’s “right” to their child anymore. We now speak of a parent’s “obligations and responsibilities” towards their child and their child’s best interests. In the generic case where two parents have a child or children together and later separate, the Family Law Act says that each parent is automatically a guardian of the child or children. …
If you have been injured while working, either because of a coworker’s actions or your own, you are entitled to receive benefits from WorkSafeBC. To ensure you receive all healthcare, wage loss, pension and vocational retraining benefits, it is important you do the following: Immediately report your injury to your employer’s First-Aid person. If there is no First-Aid person, report to your immediate supervisor. Write down what happened, where, when, how and who saw it (the witnesses) along with witness contact information. Immediately see your doctor, go to a walk-in clinic or the hospital and report that you were…
July 14, 2017
Insurer-Defended Tort Claims: Know Your Rights and Obligations as an Insured Defendant
Harris & Brun
A contract of insurance that protects a client from personal liability provides two important benefits. First, the insurance company will indemnify (cover) the client for damages that the client’s negligence may have caused to a third party. Second, and equally important, the insurance company has a duty to defend the client against the claim brought by the third party (or plaintiff). The following summary highlights important aspects of the insurer’s duty to defend. This is general information that we hope will assist insurance consumers understand what happens when they are sued for a type of claim or injury that is…
When we talk about divorce and divorce lawyers, we usually think of hostile attitudes and battle-royales in the courtroom. However, I’ve had many clients come to me where the relationship breakdown is amicable and, to their credit, they have reached agreement. Many people might question why they should go to a lawyer if they agree on everything already. Other people question the expense of a lawyer to draft a separation agreement. Instead they may turn to a self-help book to draft the agreement themselves or not bother to write down anything at all. For some people, they will be right…
On January 27, 2017, Mr. Justice Funt of the Supreme Court of British Columbia overturned a master’s decision, which had incorrectly held that the court has no power to order a Plaintiff to sign a reasonable consent to treatment form. I acted as counsel representing the Defendants. His Lordship ruled that the courts of British Columbia most certainly CAN make such an order to give effect to the Supreme Court Civil Rules, including the right of a Defendant in a personal injury action to compel the Plaintiff to attend a medical assessment with the expert of his or her choice…
As one of the two founding partners of Harris & Brun Law Corporation in 1984, I am delighted to assist in the launch of the latest version of our firm’s website with authoring the first blog. On our redesigned website, one of the first things you will notice is an image of medieval goldsmiths hard at work. This image is taken from the mural on the east side of The Randall Building, the heritage building initially completed in 1929, which our firm calls home. This mural, completed in 1993, is based on a copper engraving from 1698 by Christopher Weigel…
On June 30, 2014, Peter Collins, a senior associate with Harris & Brun, successfully acted for the plaintiff in Bouvier v. Behrend, 2014 BCSC 1208. The plaintiff was awarded over $350,000.00 at trial. At the time of the accident, the plaintiff was a 57 year old bus driver with BC Transit. Due to the accident, the plaintiff suffered a left lateral epicondylitis, from a tear in the tendon of the epicondyle, and a mild cubital tunnel syndrome, from compression of the ulnar nerve. As a result of his injuries, plaintiff was partially disabled and the court found that there was…
An article in the Vancouver Sun earlier this year reported that there are an estimated 100,000 Vancouver residents that do not have a family doctor. As I tell my clients, seeing a family doctor regularly is key in assisting them on the road to recovery, following a car accident. Seeing your family doctor regularly will ensure you get consistent care in the critical months following your injury. Referrals from your family doctors are essential for you to get necessary treatment from physiotherapists, massage therapists and other medical specialists paid for under Part 7 benefits. Having a family doctor also simplifies your…