The Internet is a pretty cool thing. In the past, to find information relating to a court judgment you’d have to have a Lexis/Nexis account or spend your life at a library going through giant books. Now, you just have to search.

It’s amazing how many legal cases are dealt with every day in this city alone. Some are big, like class-action lawsuits, union arbitration, or big companies going at it. Some are small, with small-claims court rulings about the silliest of subjects.

Here’s a smattering of some cases that were decided earlier this month:

• Rabinovitch vs. McGill University Health Centre. Hospital loses a gold bracelet a woman had when she was admitted. She demands $800. Court agrees the hospital was negligent, but without a proper appraisal of the bracelet orders only $450 be paid.
• Sportsplexe 4 Glaces Pierrefonds vs. Montreal (Roxboro/Pierrefonds). Building owner (who purchased the building from its previous owner) demands the court annul its 10-year lease which is about to end because of a technicality. The court points out that they had 10 years to bring this up and didn’t, plus the technicality itself (that an approval from the province was required) doesn’t apply anymore. Rejected with costs.
• Moran vs. Montreal. Deaf guy (his deafness isn’t an issue, but for some reason he makes it one) sues the city after he fell on the ice and got a hernia for his troubles. Sues for $185,000. Court notes that on one hand, the 48-hour delay between the snowfall and the accident was too long. However, he made the decision to go out, and cities are normally not responsible for such accidents (there’s a specific law that covers it) unless there’s evidence of negligence. Decides city is 25% responsible, Moran 75%. Orders city to pay $18,750 with interest, which works out to about the $25,000 the city offered to pay.