On January 13th, the Alberta Court of Appeal held that a third party (who was also the plaintiff’s next friend and mother) was not required to answer questions at examinations for discovery relating to the injuries suffered by the infant plaintiff.
The plaintiff claimed against a school bus operator for injuries arising out of an accident. The defendant third partied the mother, alleging that she was negligent in failing to provide instruction to her son. The mother denied negligence and causation but did not dispute the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant or the quantum of damages claimed.
In these circumstances, the Court held that the mother was adverse in interest to the defendants on the issue of liability and therefore could be examined. However, it also held that the defendant could not ask questions about the plaintiff’s injuries on discovery because it was not adverse in interest to the mother on the damages issue: “In this case, the happenstance that the third party is the mother of the plaintiff should not be allowed to extend the scope of discovery beyond what is ‘relevant and material’ in the pleadings.”
Briggs Bros. Student Transportation Ltd. v. Collacutt, 2009 ABCA 17 (CanLII).
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