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w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m J U N E 2 0 1 6 11 \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP L awPRO has made civil litigation its immediate priority as it seeks to avoid a flood of new claims when new automatic dismissal rules kick in at the beginning of 2017. Changes to Rule 48 of the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure enacted in 2015 mean any claim commenced before Jan- uary 2012 that has not yet concluded or been set down for trial by Jan. 1, 2017 will be dismissed without notice. Before 2015, parties had only two years to get their actions on the trial list before the court's registrar sent out a notice of intent to dismiss the claim for abandonment, but the new rule did away with the warning in exchange for a longer deadline, making dismissal automatic after five years. Delivering LawPRO's annual report in late April, Law Society of Upper Can- ada Bencher Susan McGrath told Con- vocation the transition could result in a significant boost in claims. "Real estate and litigation continue to be the areas of law with the highest number of claims, but at this time, we must focus on the upcoming civil litigation risk arising from the changes in the administrative dismissal rules," said McGrath, who is also chairwoman of the insurer's board. "LawPRO strongly urges lawyers to stay on top of their civil litigation files." LawPRO has dispatched staff across the province to provide education on the issue. Aside from the Rule 48 issue, McGrath expressed satisfaction with the insurer's performance in 2015, explaining that "the steep trajectory of claims costs projected over the last few years has begun to plateau," freeing up cash that had been set aside to cover future expenses. LawPRO reported a total of 2,532 claims in 2015, the fourth consecutive year in which the number exceeded 2,500. However, accounting for the expanding number of lawyers covered by the plan, the number of claims per INSURER WORRIED CHANGES IN CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES WILL BOOST CLAIMS Continued on page 12 MATTER CREDENTIALS TORONTO I BARRIE I HAMILTON I KITCHENER 1-866-685-3311 www.mcleishorlando.com A Noticeable Difference ™ Choosing a personal injury lawyer is one of the most important decisions an injured person will make. Help your client ask the right questions: Is the lawyer? I Untitled-1 1 2015-05-13 4:13 PM

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