Staged Collisions, Surprise Discoveries, And The Limits Of Privilege

Motor vehicle accident litigation in Ontario is rarely short on complexity, but Parweez v. Manbauman stands out. What began as a seemingly routine rear-end collision evolved, after a candid and damaging examination for discovery, into allegations of a staged crash, insurance fraud, and conspiracy. Many of the principles are applicable to tort litigation in general.

The April 2026 endorsement of Associate Justice Josefo addresses three discrete but interconnected issues:

1. the scope of litigation privilege over pre-litigation adjuster investigations,
2. the threshold for amending pleadings based on newly discovered evidence, and
3. the procedural rights of a proposed third party who arrived unrepresented.