A BC Supreme Court judge has ordered 7-Eleven to pay double the court costs to a Smithers woman who sued the company and won nearly $1 million in damages—after originally offering to settle for just $125,000.
In a decision delivered on April 25, Justice Emily Burke noted that Chrystal Tommy made multiple reasonable offers to settle out of court, all of which were rejected by 7-Eleven.
The company denied any responsibility for Tommy’s injuries and chose to take the matter to trial.
Tommy was ultimately awarded just over $907,000 in damages last September, after suffering a serious ankle injury from tripping on a pothole in the Smithers 7-Eleven parking lot in 2018.
The injury led to income loss, health complications, and emotional distress.
Justice Burke said Tommy’s settlement offers should have been accepted and pointed out that refusing a fair settlement wastes court resources.
As a result, she ordered 7-Eleven to pay double the legal costs.
The damages awarded cover lost wages, future care, housekeeping, and pain and suffering.
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