Causation

Slipping, Sliding, and Snow Removal Woes: The Extension of Tort Liability to Municipalities
Winter is often stressful as many residents attempt to clear the sidewalk in front of their house or business to avoid being sued for an unsuspecting slip or fall. In 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) settled an ambiguous area of law by extending tort liability to municipalities for improper snow removal. The SCC […]

“Imaginative Reconstruction of Reality”: Problems with Causation in Sacks v Ross
On October 5, 2017, the ONCA released its decision (2017 ONCA 773) on an appeal for a negligence claim made by Jordan Sacks, a man who suffered septic shock and amputations as a result of complications from bowel surgery performed at Sunnybrook Hospital. Although the jury found that the hospital, three of its doctors, and […]

Benhaim v. St-Germain: Tort Law 101 and Causation
In first year law school, we learn the seven parts of a tort claim: volition, duty of care, standard of care, harm, causation, remoteness, defence. Some learn these in different orders, some apply them in separate steps, and others apply multiple steps at one time during their analysis. Causation, however, has always been a main […]