It's a huge court decision that affects any Nova Scotian with car insurance. That $2500 cap on soft tissue injury payouts is not unconstitutional says a Nova Scotia Supreme Court justice in rejecting arguments the cap is discriminatory. The Tory government brought in the cap in 2003 at the urging of the insurance industry. It had long complained ever increasing court ordered accident settlements were digging deep into profits and causing skyrocketing premium increases. Since the cap's imposition, premiums have fallen, but unfortunately for some, $2500 does little to compensate for the pain, suffering and medical care they need following a motor vehicle accident. This is too important an issue to let slide and lawyer Barry Mason has indicated he plans to appeal.
In the meantime, Nova Scotians injured in car accidents will continue to be short-changed, while the insurance industry is again rolling in big profits.
A strike countdown is underway in a dispute that could put a real monkey-wrench into the school year. School bus drivers and mechanics with Stock Transportation could be off the job January 27th now that a conciliator has filed his report into the labour impasse. Filing the report triggers a 14 day countdown to a strike. I have a great deal of sympathy for these folks who are making siginificantly less money than their counterparts in other jurisdictions in the province and yet drive for the province's largest school board. 23,000 students who are bused to classes each day will have to find their own way to and from school in the event of a strike. Stock has already said the buses won't run during a walkout and the school board says it has no contingency plan to make alternative arrangements.
ARGGGHH! What a winter this has been and we're not even into a month of it yet. More snow coming tonight. 10 to 15 more centimetres of snow are forecast for tonight followed by some rain with perhaps more snow tomorrow.
Where's our premier today? Oh, Bermuda. Nice. He's signing some kind of memorandum of understanding with the government there. I think we understand only too well. Funny how these political trips to the Caribbean never happen in July huh?
And congrats to the 42 men, most in their 30's and 40's, who took to the ice on the weekend in Newport. I mean, literally, it was the weekend. The event was called The Long Game. The puck dropped at 9am Friday and wrapped up at 9am Saturday, raising $30,000 for charity. The final score was 120-102. How to go boys!!
Have a great day. Get involved. And if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.
Rick Howe
