Since the early 2000s, the opioid crisis has caused widespread devastation to families across Canada and the United States. Painkiller addiction has led to the deaths of 500,000 people in the United States and kills approximately 19 Canadians each day. The deceitful marketing practices used by Oxycontin creator Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler Family, have left them justifiably vilified at the centre of the crisis. While the culpability of opioid producers is well-established, another question remains unanswered: who else should shoulder the responsibility for opioid addiction? The rh ..read more

Since the early 2000s, the opioid crisis has caused widespread devastation to families across Canada and the United States. Painkiller addiction has led to the deaths of 500,000 people in the United States and kills approximately 19 Canadians each day. The deceitful marketing practices used by Oxycontin creator Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler Family, have left them justifiably vilified at the centre of the crisis. While the culpability of opioid producers is well-established, another question remains unanswered: who else should shoulder the responsibility for opioid addiction? The rh ..read more

Of the myriad of issues that can give rise to injuries and civil lawsuits, by far the most prevalent are those cases relating to motor vehicle collisions. In Canada, approximately 160,000 car accidents happen each year. The number of motor vehicle accidents was trending downward in 2019, the most recent year for which Transport Canada provides data. Drivers and their passengers consistently account for approximately 65 per cent of all serious injuries and fatalities in motor vehicle collisions, while pedestrians and cyclists represent 15 per cent of those injured or killed. The same data from ..read more

In a previous blog, we focused on the issue of birth trauma, its potential causes and the many life-altering injuries that infants and labouring parents have been known to sustain during the birth process. The use of certain medical devices, including forceps and vacuum pumps, in the course of vaginal deliveries is associated with a substantial number of obstetrical injuries each year, including cerebral palsy. In cases where the delivery of a baby is stalled, progressing too slowly for the baby’s or parent’s safety, or where the baby’s birth position is not ideal, forceps or vacuums may be us ..read more

One of the least understood, but yet most universal, of human experiences is pain. Virtually all injuries, regardless of severity, result in some degree of acute pain, which for most people resolves over time. Pain that persists for more than three months, post-injury, is defined as chronic pain. It is estimated that nearly 8 million Canadians are living with chronic pain. Many of those experiencing pain report that it impacts their activities of daily life. Chronic pain which persists beyond the time expected for a person to heal from an injury (or even in the absence of an identifiable injur ..read more

Grief, in the medical community, is defined as a “natural reaction to loss”. Although grief is most often associated with feelings that occur following a death, people can grieve all manner of losses: the loss of a job, a relationship, an opportunity, or a dream. Any time that something a person expects to happen does not, grief can result. When a personal injury occurs, whether in the context of a medical mistake, an automobile accident, or any manner of a negligent act, grief for the injured person and those close to them is common. Experts in loss and bereavement identify eight specific typ ..read more

The phrase “serious and permanent injury” has long been a part of legal discourse. In the last year, we have heard the term used in the context of COVID-19 vaccines, when the Canadian government announced that, in response to demands dating back to the 1980s, a vaccine injury support program has been established. Until June 2021, Quebec was the only Canadian jurisdiction with a provincial vaccine injury compensation scheme. It was then that Canada’s federal program (shortened to “VISP”) began accepting applications for support. Since then, of the approximately 400 applications to the program ..read more

December is a busy month for many; Christmas, holiday parties, family gatherings, holiday shopping, and preparing for a few extra days off of work. Often, we are distracted, rushed, and topped with Alberta winter driving and ever-changing weather conditions, accidents of all sorts can happen, especially car accidents. When you are involved in an accident for which you need representation to receive compensation for your injuries, it’s natural to not think of the important information your personal injury lawyer may need from you.  If you have been injured in an accident and are considerin ..read more

It has been a while, so some of us may have forgotten just how great the holidays can be when long-lost friends and family reunite, share food and drinks and stories, and hopefully a laugh or two. After nearly two years of lockdowns, gathering limits, and cancelled get-togethers, much of the country is in some stage of opening up (cautiously!). With the Canada-US border restrictions starting to ease in recent months, even bi-national families and friends from the south have renewed hopes of joyously reuniting for the holidays. In Alberta, as of October 2021, indoor gatherings of two households ..read more

Canada is known worldwide as a land of many cultures and is one of 57 countries with two official languages. In addition to the English and French speakers here, Statistics Canada data indicate that linguistic diversity is on the rise and that, as of 2017, nearly seven percent of the population speaks neither English nor French at home.  These trends reflect the changes that Canada has undergone in terms of the geographic origin of its immigrants. The number of people who speak languages from countries that are recent sources of immigration, primarily Asian countries, is on the rise. Mean ..read more