MARCH/APRIL 2019
34
INHOUSE
I n d u s t r y S p o t l i g h t
Back to basics
Use of experts and introduction
of technology challenging in
defence bar.
BY SHANNON KARI
F
or lawyers who practise insurance defence in personal
injury cases, both in-house and external counsel, the
past 12 months have not been marked by landmark
Supreme Court decisions or other major developments that
impact this area of the profession on a daily basis.
That does not mean it has been uneventful. Instead, it
has been a time of continuing to deal with high volumes of
cases, increased competition in the fi eld, courts somewhat
inconsistently embracing technology and an increased focus
on ensuring the credibility of experts used in any litigation.
Heather Vaughan, a Toronto-based insurance defence
lawyer, says "shiny objects" such as the future impact of
self-driving cars or anything related to cannabis may attract
more attention, but that is not the primary focus on a day-to-
day basis for litigators in this area.
