Today, OTLA called on the Ontario Government to establish a commission to conduct a public inquiry to examine the current state of independent medical assessments of injured auto accident victims. After years of changes designed to placate the insurance industry, the government needs to turn its attention to the plight of victims. The appointment today of a new auto insurance advisor – David Marshall – presents the opportunity to …
Association News Category Archives
Public Safety: City of Toronto to Review Dog Ownership Laws
Canine companionship can be very rewarding. Most people understand, and gladly accept, the commitment and responsibility that come along with owning a dog. This includes the legal obligations that have been previously discussed on the OTLA blog. To recap, the Dog Owners’ Liability Act (the “Act”) imposes strict liability on owners for the actions of their dogs. This means that if the dog is found …
Further Erosion of Plaintiffs’ Compensation Effective August 1, 2015
Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa delivers the provincial budget as Premier Kathleen Wynne looks on at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Thursday, April 23, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Dealing another blow to Plaintiffs, on August 1, 2015, the amendments to Ontario Regulation 461/96, Court Proceedings for Automobile Accidents that Occur on or After November 1, 1996, came into effect. These amendments provide for an …
The Reality of a Publicly Traded Law Firm – How is a Car Crash Victim Served when her Lawyer is Focused on Share Price?
Slater and Gordon is a massive publicly traded international law firm that recently made the financial news in Australia when its share price took a fall of more than forty percent. The company has been an aggressive proponent of Alternative Business Structures (ABS), a law firm structure that permits non-lawyers to own law firms. Critics of ABS have consistently maintained that the corporatization of law …
New Challenges for OTLA in 2015-16
Maia Bent was elected President of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) on May 22, 2015, at the association’s Annual General Meeting in Toronto. Ms. Bent has served on the association’s Board of Directors since 2008, and has been a member of its Executive Committee for the past three years. Ms. Bent will lead the organization during the 2015-16 year. Here is her inaugural blog …
The Wild, Wild West
Western edges out win in tight OTLA Cup competition The best in the west defeated the rest – but not without a fight. The OTLA Cup returned to be heard in Kingston where it began 23 years ago, but the University of Western Ontario is taking it home in 2015. And what a Cup it was! Ten competitors and five witnesses from five of Ontario’s …
