Explore the largest personal injury settlements in Canada and what they mean for both plaintiff and defense lawyers handling personal injury claims
When legal professionals discuss the largest personal injury settlement or award in Canada, the figures can be staggering. However, it's important to see behind each figure a person whose life changed in a moment.
These cases also show how courts assess loss, care needs, and long-term consequences. For litigators, they also serve as a reference on evidence, strategy, and what courts weigh most heavily in serious personal injury matters.
Here are some of the largest personal injury settlements and awards in Canada:
| Case | Award |
|---|---|
| Marcoccia v. Ford Credit Canada Limited | $16 million |
| KB v. Guhle | $15 million |
| Aberdeen v. Zanatta | $5.6 million |
Below are the details of each case.
The case of Marcoccia v. Ford Credit Canada Limited, 2009 ONCA 317 is one of Ontario's largest personal injury awards on record.
In 2000, Robert Marcoccia was 20 years old who had just finished Grade 12 when his Honda Civic collided with an oncoming furniture truck at Rexdale and Humberwood boulevards in Toronto. The truck driver, Bhupinder Singh Gill, entered the intersection on an amber light but started his left turn after the light had turned red. This caused the collision.
The impact left Marcoccia with serious traumatic brain injuries to the frontal and temporal lobes, which resulted in the following:
During trial, a jury in Ontario's Superior Court of Justice found Gill to be 61 percent at fault for the accident, because he failed to make sure his left turn could be completed safely. Marcoccia was found to be 39 percent responsible, since he entered the intersection on a red light.
Gill's employer, Purba Furniture, and Ford Credit Canada Limited, which insured the leased furniture truck, were also found liable. The jury awarded Marcoccia $16 million in damages, with the following breakdown:
This case shows how the courts apportion liability between plaintiff and the defendant, which parties factor in when calculating a settlement or award. The original costs award and substantial indemnity costs were also deemed excessive and were reduced in the final award.
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One of the largest personal injury settlements in Canada for a child injured by medical negligence is KB v. Guhle, 2025 ABKB 472.
Beyond serving as a reference for future awards involving children, this case shows that children in rural hospitals deserve the same standard of diagnostic care and urgency as those in urban centres, especially in emergencies.
The case started on February 19, 2011, when DB took her 11‑month‑old daughter, KB, to the emergency room at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Grande Prairie, Alberta. With signs of respiratory illness, KB was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and admitted.
However, by February 22, KB had developed an advancing bacterial lung infection that led to septic shock and an urgent helicopter transfer to Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton. Despite intensive care, sepsis cut off the blood flow to KB's arms and legs.
On March 28, 2011, KB had amputations to her:
KB then went through painful treatment, narcotic withdrawal, and a long stay at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and prosthetic care. After her release, and in the years that followed, her injuries affected nearly every part of her daily life, from standing and walking with prostheses to basic self‑care.
At trial, the Court of King's Bench of Alberta found that KB's admitting doctor on the children's ward, Dr. Mark Guhle, breached the standard of care owed to KB. It found that Dr. Guhle should have:
This delay by Dr. Guhle allowed the infection to progress, which caused KB's:
The other doctors involved in the case, Dr. Adel Belhaj and Dr. Jayprakash Patidar, were found not liable for KB's injuries. The Court said that:
In sum, the Court awarded the following:
KB's award included:
Together, these figures place KB v. Guhle among the largest medical malpractice and personal injury awards in Canadian history. The case shows how lifetime care costs, prosthetics, and support workers can push total damages into the tens of millions.
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Aberdeen v. Zanatta, 2008 BCCA 420, shows how future care costs can drive a multi-million-dollar personal injury award in Canada. The case involves a cyclist whose life was permanently altered by a third party's negligence.
James Aberdeen was riding his bicycle downhill toward a blind curve in June 2002. To avoid a cube van, he veered, lost control, passed through a gap between two roadside barriers, and fell down a ravine.
The fall left the 50‑year‑old cyclist with the following injuries:
These injuries meant long‑term medical needs, pain management, and help with many daily tasks. The trial court accepted that he would need a wide range of therapies, equipment, and support over the rest of his life.
The court then held the following to be liable for Aberdeen's injuries:
The damages were apportioned 25 percent to the driver and owner of the van, and 75 percent to the Township of Langley.
Although the appeal was successful on the issue of contributory negligence and was remanded for retrial, the Court of Appeal affirmed the following total damages in favour of Aberdeen:
For personal injury lawyers, the case focuses not only on pain and suffering, which is capped, but on the practical question of what care, assistance, and equipment a person will need over a lifetime. When experts estabish that a plaintiff will live many more years with permanent disability, the future care budget can reach millions.
Here are other recent personal injury settlements and awards that can serve as references in similar cases:
The largest personal injury settlement or award in Canada is not the only story that matters. Each claim is about one person's specific needs, losses, and future. Courts look at how lives are changed, what income was lost, and what care will be needed decades from now.
For litigators, the lesson is simple: strong evidence on future care and earning capacity matters. Careful use of medical records, expert reports, and common law precedents can turn complex facts into a clear, fair case. Clients do not just need a big number. They need the right settlement or award for the life ahead.
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