What is the test for a plaintiff to claim special damages for medical malpractice?

British Columbia, Canada


The following excerpt is from Klingler v Lau, 2019 BCSC 1776 (CanLII):

For each item of expense claimed as special damages, a plaintiff must prove, on a balance of probabilities, both the amount claimed and the fact that the expenditure is causally connected to the injuries sustained in the accident. Generally speaking, claims for special damages are subject only to the standard of reasonableness. However, as with claims for the cost of future care, when a claimed expense has been incurred in relation to treatment aimed at promotion of a plaintiff’s physical or mental well-being, evidence of the medical justification for the expense is a factor in determining reasonableness: see Redl v. Sellin, 2013 BCSC 581, at para. 55.

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