The fight for a fair wrongful death law has generated considerable media attention in British Columbia. All major news sources, including CBC, CTV, Global, CKNW, the Vancouver Sun, and the Province have reported on the campaign, as well as local media throughout the province.
This news archive provides a history of the campaign. It demonstrates the need for a wrongful death law in BC that is just and equal—that is accessible to all British Columbians.
A B.C. woman whose husband died in hospital after errors were made wants the Campbell government to change the law to make the medical system pay for its mistakes.
“They should pay somehow,” Bonnie Ryde said. “Why shouldn’t they be responsible for what they’ve put us through?”
In British Columbia, you can only claim for financial losses arising from wrongful death. With children, as abhorrent as this analysis may seem, the death is a financial gain.
If you are unhappy with the current state of the law in British Columbia, do something about it.
Children who die as a result of negligence have no value in BC courts. Neither do older people who are no longer working.
Under BC’s Family Compensation Act, their families can sue the negligent party, but likely will be unable to recover the costs of those lawsuits out of potential damage awards.
