Potential link between contraceptive injection and brain tumours

/ Class Action, Personal Injury /

Canadian women taking Pfizer’s Depo-Provera or its generic version may have reason for concern following reports that the contraceptive injection may increase the risk of brain and spinal tumours. Recent medical literature concludes that long-term use of Depo-Provera increases the risk of developing intracranial meningioma, a type of brain or spinal cord tumour. Pfizer is […]

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Drivers need to be aware of their rights during a police stop

/ Criminal Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • Some drivers are unaware of their rights during a roadside stop. That can lead to misunderstandings and legal troubles, not to mention fines and possible licence suspension. “Since driving in Canada is a privilege, not a right, Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act grants police the power to pull over vehicles with minimal

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Long-term disability payments could come with a tax liability

/ Personal Injury /

By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • People forced to rely on long-term disability (LTD) insurance as an income replacement after an injury or disability may wonder if those payments are taxable. The answer depends on a variety of factors, says Ontario disability and personal injury lawyer Joshua Goldberg. “The tax implications of LTD income can

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Good faith approach needed in mental health disability claims

/ Disability Law /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Insurance companies “need to take a good faith approach” when it comes to assessing mental health claims, says Ontario disability insurance lawyer Courtney Mulqueen. “I am not talking blind faith,” says Mulqueen, principal lawyer of Mulqueen Disability Law Professional Corporation. “By good faith, I mean there has to be

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Difficult to prove someone has engaged in insider trading

/ Criminal Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • The buying or selling of stocks or other securities by people who have access to non-public, material information about a company is called insider trading. It is a crime because this information could affect the stock price once it becomes known. “It gives those with privileged information an unfair advantage over

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Accounting for neurodivergence is important in a workplace probe

/ Workplace Investigations /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Understanding neurodiversity and recognizing how witnesses communicate can impact the fairness of a workplace probe, says lawyer and workplace investigator Jessica Herfst. Herfst, of Mortimer Khoraych PC, points to statistics cited at the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) annual conference last month that suggest 15 to 20 per cent

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An extortion attempt can result in prison for life

/ Criminal Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • Whenever someone uses threats, accusations or violence to force someone else to pay money or provide sexual favours, they could be charged with extortion. If found guilty, the maximum sentence is life imprisonment. They may also be fined and ordered to pay restitution payments to the victim. “Judges have the discretion

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Single adults in Canada are welcome to adopt children

/ Family Law /

By LegalMatters Staff • While some adoption agencies may favour traditional two-parent families, single adults have as much right to adopt a child as a married couple in Canada. “Every province has regulations and procedures that govern the adoption process and safeguard the child’s best interests,” says Edmonton family lawyer Sean Schaefer. “In Alberta, anyone

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Electric skateboards target of mass recalls, personal injury claims

/ Personal Injury /

A growing number of personal injury lawsuits that began in the United States involving Onewheel electric skateboards could find their way to Canada. The motorized skateboards are manufactured in the U.S. and sold in this country. These conveyances have been subject to mass recalls and personal injury claims after “incidents resulting in serious injury, including

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