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Bonn Law is proud to partner with the Belleville General Hospital in sponsoring the BGH Outpatient Rehabilitation Day Hospital.

As reported in the Belleville EMC, Bonn Law again organized the annual helmet for kids program sponsored by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA). Bonn Law was able to gather support from a number of other local law firms to purchase over 200 helmets to give to kids this year.

The Ontario government is in the midst of trying to severely reduce benefits of the most seriously injured car accident victims. A task force was created to investigate this issue. Recently, lawyers on the task force who represent the injured victims had no choice but to resign as a result of obvious insurer bias on the part of the government.

Auto insurance premiums continue to rise in Ontario at the same time, benefits are being reduced and limited. In today’s Toronto Star, Ellen Roseman outlines how since September 1, 2010, automobile insurers are classifying 80 percent of all injuries as “minor injuries” which automatically limits all medical and rehabilitation benefits available to an injured victim to $3,500. This $3,500 limit also includes the costs for travel to appointments, administration costs and assessments. The $3,500 is completely inadequate and does not provide nearly enough coverage for those who are injured in automobile accidents. Consider that you are likely paying at a minimum of $1,000 a year in premiums and likely much more. It is unlikely that you will ever need to access your auto insurance benefits but consider that even after paying over $10,000 in auto insurance premiums over a 10 year period, when you actually need the benefits you will be told that your benefits are limited to a total of $3,500. Does this seem fair or just?

Insurance is supposed to buy peace of mind | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun.

Insurance inquiry needed | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun.

Great article by Alan Shanof. He provides a detailed critique of the biased report from the Ontario Auditor General. If you drive a car in Ontario you need to read this article to understand how the insurers are lying to the public.

Canada News: Ontario needs to corral auto insurance premiums – thestar.com.

The insurance companies are always referring to the high cost of claims and fraud for the reason why auto insurance premiums are so high BUT what you don’t hear is that the rates approved by the government include a 12% profit for every policy. I wish I could get a guaranteed return of 12%!

Take this survey to see how much you know about insurance. One correction for Ontario auto insurance policy holders, in Ontario auto insurance does not compensate you for pain and suffering. You can only be awarded pain and suffering if you have been hurt by another party.

The Ontario Court of Appeal released a decision on October 18, 2011 which ought to serve as a warning to automobile insurers that unfairly deny necessary benefits to their injured clients. In McQueen v Echelon http://www.ontariocourts.on.ca/decisions/2011/2011ONCA0649.htm, the Court was asked to consider whether or not an award of damages for mental distress in the amount of $25,000.00 ought to be upheld. It is noted that the award for mental distress caused by the insurer actually exceeded the value of benefits that the insurer had refused to pay to its insured.

In a recent exit interview conducted by the Globe and Mail, Justice Binnie of the Supreme Court of Canada was asked to talk about some of his favourite or most momentous cases, while sitting with Canada’s highest court.

Justice Binnie recalled the case of Whitten v. Pilot Insurance, a civil case about punitive damages. The case was in front of the Supreme Court on appeal by the plaintiffs, whose 1 million dollar punitive damages award by a jury at the Superior Court had been overturned by the Ontario Court of Appeal.