A retired firefighter who suffered vital accidents after being hit by a automotive whereas biking says as a result of Insurance coverage Company of British Columbia’s (ICBC) no-fault insurance coverage system, he’s not getting the care he wants.
On Could 16, 2023, Wakefield was hit by a car whereas driving his ebike in Vernon, B.C., leaving him with a number of damaged ribs, a damaged scapula, a damaged collar bone, and a concussion.
Wakefield has been getting take care of his accidents, together with psychological well being assist, however on the finish of December 2023, he says ICBC minimize his funding.
“They determined that they had sufficient and simply minimize me off, regardless that my physician, my physiotherapist, therapeutic massage therapist and psychological well being counsellor all requested extra they usually stated, ‘No, we’ve given you adequate, we’re chopping you off,’” stated Wakefield.
Beneath BC’s no-fault insurance coverage, crash victims can’t sue at-fault drivers and rely solely on ICBC for compensation, a coverage a Vancouver lawyer says is unfair to the victims.
“I’m listening to numerous complaints from shoppers who really feel they’re not being handled pretty by ICBC and really feel like their rights have been stripped away,” stated Kyla Lee, a lawyer with Acumen Legislation.
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“Individuals who don’t have the chance to rent legal professionals, who can’t discover legal professionals keen to combat ICBC as a result of going to the Civil Decision Tribunal often doesn’t produce sufficient compensation for anyone to pay a lawyer.”
In line with Wakefield, ICBC is pinning his PTSD and anxiousness on a earlier incident when he was a firefighter from six years in the past, however the assessor they offered by no means truly spoke with or met Wakefield.
“They gained’t even give me his title, I don’t know who it was,” stated Wakefield.
Lee says ICBC has quite a lot of energy in these conditions.
“They’ll rent their very own unbiased specialists who don’t even have to guage or study you for them to inform ICBC you don’t deserve compensation,” stated Lee.
Wakefield additionally says ICBC is linking his bodily accidents to a earlier bike harm, from which he claims he’s absolutely healed.
In a press release, ICBC stated it was reaching out to Wakefield to “higher perceive his present scenario and his restoration from accidents associated to the crash.”
The Crown company stated Wakefield had obtained 120 remedies since his collision, together with wage loss advantages and compensation for his everlasting accidents.
It stated after a assessment of his case final spring, it knowledgeable him it couldn’t prolong funding for extra counselling or earnings alternative, however notified him of his choices to dispute the choice.
The insurer stated that if an injured particular person suffers a setback of their restoration they could be eligible for extra accident advantages.
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