The Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench concluded that the Appeals Commission of the WCB (the “Appeals Commission”) made no reviewable error in concluding that the Respondent was an insured worker acting in the course of his employment when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident with the Applicant who was similarly subject to the operation of the Workers Compensation Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. W-15 (the “Act”). In the result, the Applicant was barred by operation of s. 23(1) of the Act from pursuing a civil action commenced against the Respondent for losses occasioned in the accident.

23. December 2003 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Statutory provisions – Worker – Definition – Immunity from civil actions – Judicial review application – Administrative decisions Barker v. Sowa, [2003] A.J. No. 1276, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, October 16, 2003, Bielby J. The Applicant applied for judicial review of the decision of the Appeals Commission dated August 7, ...

The Workers’ Compensation Commission was unsuccessful in appealing a decision of the Trial Division which had overturned a decision of one of the Commission’s internal review specialists relating to whether or not the Commission was entitled to maintain a subrogated action. The Court of Appeal found that the decision of the internal review specialist was patently unreasonable as it resulted from an inappropriate approach to statutory interpretation.

23. September 2003 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Subrogated actions – Administrative decisions – Statutory provisions – Use – Definition – Statutory interpretation vs. judicial interpretation – Judicial review application – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Warford v. Weir’s Construction Ltd., [2003] N.J. No. 178, Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court – Court of Appeal, July 17, 2003, Cameron, ...

The appeal of a worker (“Gauthier”) of the decision of the Appeals Tribunal of the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission, wherein they held that the average earnings he lost through a work-related injury should be calculated considering the period during which he was not receiving any employment income, was dismissed.

24. June 2003 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Statutory provisions – Average earnings – Method of calculation – Judicial review – Standard of review – Correctness Gauthier v. New Brunswick (Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission), [2003] N.B.J. No. 139, New Brunswick Court of Appeal, April 10, 2003, Drapeau C.J.N.B., Deschênes and Robertson JJ.A. The New Brunswick Court ...

Poulin had brought an application to the Workers’ Compensation Board for a determination that a civil claim was barred pursuant to s. 68(1) of the Act. The application was dismissed by the Board and Poulin sought judicial review. The Court of Appeal held that the Board acted within its jurisdiction. In the result, the judicial review application was dismissed.

24. June 2003 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Worker – Definition – Liability of sole director of a corporation – Statutory provisions – Privative clauses – Judicial review – Administrative decisions – Jurisdiction – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness – Evidence Poulin v. Manitoba (Workers’ Compensation Board), [2003] M.J. No. 122, Manitoba Court of Appeal, April 23, 2003, ...

On appeal to the court for a judicial review of an Appeal Commission decision under the Workers Compensation Act, R.S.M. 1987, c. W200, the standard of review is patent unreasonableness. The Commission’s decision not to read in words to section 1(3) and to decline to pierce the corporate veil was not patently unreasonable.

24. September 2002 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Worker – definition – Piercing corporate veil – Judicial review – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness Poulin v. Manitoba (Workers’ Compensation Board), [2002] M.J. No. 341, Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, August 13, 2002, McKelvey J. The Applicant was the sole shareholder, director and president of NL Poulin Ltd. The ...

Workers Compensation Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 492 provisions granting spousal benefits for life to widowed parents 40 years of age or older when their children cease dependency but denying pension benefits to widowed parents under 40 years of age when their children cease dependency are discriminatory on the basis of age and therefore contrary to section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

27. August 2002 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Benefits – Charter of Rights – Discrimination – Equality rights Burnett v. British Columbia (Worker’s Compensation Board), [2002] B.C.J. No. 1738, British Columbia Supreme Court, July 25, 2002, Holmes J. The Petitioner’s spouse was killed in a work-related accident when she was 32 years old with one dependent child aged ...

The Appellant, a retired marine engineer applied for judicial review of a decision of the Workers Compensation Board (“WCB”). The appeal was dismissed. The BC Court of Appeal held that a decision of the Workers Compensation Review board was a recommendation rather than a directive and that the WCB’s procedure on re-examining the case was fair.

26. March 2002 0
Administrative law – Workers compensation – Procedural fairness – Privative clauses Clouston v. British Columbia (Workers Compensation Board), [2002] B.J.C. No. 353, British Columbia Court of Appeal, February 21, 2002, Rowles, Ryan and Donald, JJ.A. The Appellant worked for many years as a marine engineer with the Canadian Coast Guard. During his employment with the ...