www.lexpert.ca 23
global pandemic will continue aer the virus
has been brought under control."
e advent of virtual hearings has also
brought an opportunity for a different and
better form of advocacy, he says. Instead of
simply talking to a decision-maker in a room,
litigators can use visuals in remote presen-
tations. Harte recently made a PowerPoint
presentation before an appellate court since
sharing a screen is easily done in virtual
proceedings. Normally in a courtroom, he
says, "you couldn't bring along a projector
and screen; it's rarely done."
e pandemic has accelerated the use of
technology, agrees Valerie Prather, co-head of
health practice for Bennett Jones LLP. She is
based in Calgary and focuses on professional
negligence and administrative law.
THE HUMAN TOLL OF
MEDICAL ERRORS
• In Canada, medical errors account
for 28,000 deaths yearly, according
to a Canadian Patient Safety
Institute report in 2019
• Medical errors are said to be the
third leading cause of death in
Canada after cancer and heart
disease
• Every 78 seconds, someone is
unintentionally injured
• The most frequent medical errors
involve medications
SOURCE: Radio Canada International
