The Verdict: “As each family would soon learn, families seeking justice in honour of their deceased loved ones were in essence prohibited from pursuing justice, unless their dead family members were breadwinners…”
The family of a 28-year-old Mexican woman killed while tandem hang-gliding is suing the instructor who was given five months in jail for causing her death, as well as the sport’s governing associations.
Lawyers are calling on B.C. to reform its wrongful death laws in the wake of a new $50,000 fund established for each child of missing and murdered women, including Robert Pickton’s victims.
While several family members decried the Tuesday announcement as “pennies,” undervaluing their lost loved ones, the figure is the maximum available under the current Family Compensation Act.
As the result of an archaic law imported from Britain, [Catherine] Adamson and other B.C. families are left with little legal recourse in the face of a loved one’s wrongful death.
Imagine a child being told their murdered mom was worth only $50,000.
News that some of the families of serial killer Robert Pickton’s victims had settled their lawsuit with Victoria focuses attention once again on B.C.’s inadequate wrongful death law.
The province’s archaic legislation governing the compensation for the loss of loved ones due to other people’s wrongful conduct perpetuates a long-standing injustice.
2024 Election – David Eby & the BC NDP have failed to keep their promise to modernize BC’s wrongful death laws within their 2020-2024 mandate of government.
John Rustad and the Conservative Party of BC have committed to modernize if elected.