From accident payouts to medical negligence claims, it has been an eventful year for Richmond residents and businesses. It's difficult to pinpoint what the best court story was, but here are some of the top stories in no particular order:
1. Richmond fishing firm fined $755K for ammonia release
Arctic Pearl Fishing Ltd. was found guilty of transporting contaminated ammonia using unqualified staff and spilling ammonia into the Fraser River back in 2017. The incident was reported by a sanitation worker who smelled ammonia and a reading of the air showed it held a "potentially lethal dose." Prosecution sought fines of $2,950,000 but a Vancouver Provincial Court judge ultimately fined Arctic Pearl $755,000.
2. Pedestrian gets almost $1M after Costco parking lot accident
A woman who got hit by a car in the Richmond Costco parking lot in 2017 was awarded $1,208,467 in non-pecuniary damages by a B.C. Supreme Court justice. The woman told the court she had landed on the hood of the car and the justice found the injuries left a "profound and longstanding effect" on the woman's life.
3. Local lawyer Hong Guo disbarred
Local lawyer Hong Guo's ongoing saga of professional misconduct allegations seemingly concluded after she was disbarred by the Law Society of BC in November. The law society's panel decided no client needed "a lawyer who bends the rules and disregards the law society’s rules and regulations." Of the allegations against Guo, it was ultimately her involvement in a complex set of business transactions where she inserted herself into her client's Chinese legal proceedings that got her disbarred. Guo later issued a statement in December claiming she was wrongfully accused.
4. Man jailed seven years for role in brutal home invasion
A man was jailed for being involved in a 2020 home invasion where a mother and her son were held at gunpoint and assaulted while three men robbed them. The man was the only one who was caught and the B.C. Supreme Court Judge took into account his Metis background, his remorse and the fact that he was not the leader in the home invasion when sentencing him to seven years in jail.
5. Woman ordered to pay $400K for spending dead boyfriend's money while he was vulnerable
A Richmond woman was found to have taken advantage of her deceased boyfriend and spent his money that was meant for investment. The woman had attempted to take control of his estate after he passed away but was ordered instead to pay the $350,000 back to his estate. The B.C. Supreme Court Judge also ordered she pay $50,000 in punitive damages as a punishment for her conduct.
6. Birth tourists sue hospital and birthing house for medical negligence
Richmond's birth tourist lawsuit continued this year after a "birth tourist" filed a lawsuit on behalf of his infant son in 2022, claiming Richmond Hospital and a Richmond birthing house were liable for alleged brain damage suffered by his son. In May, one of the defendants who lives in China sought more time to respond to the allegations, claiming she wasn't getting her mail.
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