Permanent Whiplash Injuries – $85,000.00 Awarded for Pain and Suffering

In a previous blog post, the new ICBC minor injury caps were discussed and explained. The ICBC minor injury caps, which apply to all injuries suffered in motor vehicle accidents after April 1, 2019, limit the amount of compensation for pain and suffering to a maximum of $5,500.00 for “minor “ injuries. The label “minor”…

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ICBC Loses at Trial and Pays Double Costs for Failing to Accept Reasonable Offer

David Eby and his NDP government have been very vocal about ICBC’s financial problems. Instead of making changes to ICBC’s management who are responsible for its policies and procedures that are clearly not working, the changes made are directed at injured claimants by eroding their rights. Shouldn’t the ICBC executive who are responsible for how…

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ICBC Mediation and Future Settlements

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC, insures all guilty BC drivers. ICBC also insures the injured claimant for purposes of ICBC accident injury benefits. The result is a mandatory state controlled insurance scheme. By law, ICBC has the monopoly on third party liability auto insurance. So it can be difficult to achieve a fair…

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ICBC Settlements and Collective Agreements

An employers’ duty to accommodate can impact the amount of ICBC injury claim settlement. In this case review, a car accident injury was claimed to have been settled on the mistaken understanding that the employer was willing to accommodate the injury. About a month before the trial of the car accident claims, the claimant sent…

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Time Limits for ICBC Claims and Settlements

When it comes to settling personal injury claims, car accidents involving ICBC have several unique limitations, deadlines and time limits.  Do not let the ICBC adjuster bully you into to settling your case too early. ICBC adjusters may try to raise concerns about expenses and legal costs to have you pursue your claim without a legal advocate. ICBC…

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Awards for Future Loss of Earnings differ from Awards for Past Wage Loss

The Court of Appeal has upheld a $200,000.00 award to a 25-year old student for loss of future earning capacity despite having no settled pattern of employment, and no causal link between her injuries and her inability to keep positions in her desired field of employment. (Layes v. Stevens,2018 BCCA 415). An ICBC offer to…

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$45,000 Offer of Settlement in the Age of ICBC Injury Caps

When ICBC pays for injuries, the worth or value of the claim is determined by judges following accepted values of justice and fairness. However, After April 1, 2019 there will be a government-imposed injury cap of $5,500 and the auto Insurance monopoly, ICBC, will be handed over the power to deny claims as Minor Injuries. These claimants will be…

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Repudiation of Settlement Agreement Must be Clear and Unequivocal

The central issues in this Court of Appeal settlement case are whether the parties reached a binding settlement agreement, and if the settlement was repudiated. This can sometime arise in ICBC personal injury cases after a settlement amount as been agreed upon but before the release has been signed. As an important principle in the settlement…

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Settling with ICBC and the Cost of Expert Reports

ICBC suffered a knock out blow in this car accident case. ICBC had made formal offers to settle in the amounts of $25,000.00 and $35,000.00 for personal injuries and subsequently settled for $45,000.00 plus costs and disbursements (case expensese) agreed or assessed. The claimants case expenses totalled $32,000 at the time of settlement. Three months after…

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ICBC Injury Settlements Changing Landscape

Car accident victims were delivered a catastrophic blow affecting injury settlements for 2018 and the future. Laws passed by a newly formed coalition government empower ICBC to deny, and not settle, injury claims. This has unleashed a flurry of low ICBC settlement offers and dire warnings for the future of  innocent victim compensation in British Columbia. Many…

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