What are the principles applicable to the assessment of claims and awards for the cost of future care?

British Columbia, Canada


The following excerpt is from Chen v Ma, 2021 BCSC 645 (CanLII):

The principles applicable to the assessment of claims and awards for the cost of future care might be summarized as follows: • the purpose of any award is to provide physical arrangement for assistance, equipment and facilities directly related to the injuries; • the focus is on the injuries of the innocent party... Fairness to the other party is achieved by ensuring that the items claimed are legitimate and justifiable; • the test for determining the appropriate award is an objective one based on medical evidence; • there must be: (1) a medical justification for the items claimed; and (2) the claim must be reasonable; • the concept of "medical justification" is not the same or as narrow as "medically necessary"; • admissible evidence from medical professionals (doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, et cetera) can be taken into account to determine future care needs; • however, specific items of future care need not be expressly approved by medical experts... It is sufficient that the whole of the evidence supports the award for specific items; • still, particularly in non-catastrophic cases, a little common sense should inform the analysis despite however much particular items might be recommended by experts in the field; and • no award is appropriate for expenses that the plaintiff would have incurred in any event. I have also considered that the costs awarded must be fair to both parties: Andrews v. Grand & Toy Alberta Ltd., 1978 CanLII 1 (SCC), [1978] 2 S.C.R. 229 at 241–42.

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