Thomas Harding Wins Motor Vehicle Trial and Double Costs in McMillan v. Lal

Ms. McMillan was a 70-year-old front-seat passenger whose vehicle was struck when another driver backed into it in a parking lot. ICBC defended the case on the theory that the collision was too minor to have caused injury.

At trial, Thomas Harding acted for Ms. McMillan in a six-day motor vehicle collision case. The trial judgment awarded Ms. McMillan damages after ICBC disputed the value of her claim.

Then came the costs fight. Ms. McMillan applied for double costs, and the court awarded them.

The lesson is simple: if an insurer refuses a reasonable offer and forces a trial, the court can make that decision expensive.

Judgment links: McMillan v. Lal, 2020 BCSC 847; McMillan v. Lal, 2021 BCSC 2240