No one at ICBC wants to tell you that you will be getting less, but Enhanced Care means less money for the injured. Does no compensation for pain and suffering sound like enhanced caring for the injured? How about caps and limits on the costs of necessary medical treatment, that is enhanced care ICBC style. Welcome to the new world of Enhanced Care at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. No Fault auto insurance, which takes away the right of victims to sue for fair compensation, is being called Enhanced Care.
Before we explain how Enhanced Care at ICBC really works you need to understand three things: First, Before April 1, 2019 people in British Columbia could obtain compensation for pain and suffering caused by the negligence of bad drivers. Second, before April 1, 2019 people could recover the full amount of their out of pocket expenses for necessary medical treatment from the guilty driver’s insurance. Third, Before May, 2018 people were entitled to repayment of their work sick bank after a car accident injury.
Now that you understand those three important principles, Enhanced Care at ICBC will be easier to understand. In the 2021 ICBC Enhanced Care system, you lose all of those rights. No compensation for pain and suffering. No full coverage of necessary medical treatment after a car accident. And no repayment of the work sick bank, short term or long term disability.
Enhanced Care for car accident victims also means new stricter deadlines, timelines and legal obligations to undergo medical evaluations by people appointed by ICBC. It also provides no coverage for a legal advocate. The insurance companies however will have teams of lawyers working on their side. The lawyers will work for ICBC and look out for the best interest of the insurance company. Victims are expected to present their claim with no advocate, lawyer or professional advice to assist. This is the real Enhanced Care at ICBC.
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, is a state run insurance company responsible for providing mandatory third party liability coverage. After May, 2021 negligent drivers insured by ICBC will no longer have to compensate innocent victims for pain and suffering. This will put more money in the pocket of the auto monopoly ICBC. It will also mean quality of life of the injured will be valued at zero ($0.00).
As for the cost of rehabilitation after a car accident, auto claimant’s are not allowed to get full compensation anymore. Here is a list of some of the caps and limits now imposed on auto accident victims:
This scheme is meant to save money on car insurance, but leaves behind the people insurance was once meant to help. Some lawyers are still fighting to protect the injured but without the public this fight will be lost. Injury victims are too few in numbers to change the course of big money at ICBC. Contact your MLA to voice your opinion about 2021 Enhanced Care at ICBC.