As seen in The Times Colonist, 14th May 2024.
Eby is buying our votes while service drops
Premier David Eby called the former ICBC system a “dumpster fire,” but the system has gone from bad to worse under the NDP government.
Injured motorists and passengers face far worse challenges than before Eby’s “dumpster fire” reforms. This system is an inferno that Eby’s government is hoping we will overlook for a $110 rebate.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident you probably know how the reformed ICBC system fails to deliver on its promises.
Injured motorists, passengers, and pedestrians are forced to pay for their own care at every turn, while the government buys votes instead of health care. Injured motorists are being mistreated, refused care and encouraged to resolve their claims prematurely by ICBC adjusters.
Most injured motorists are forced to navigate this system with no advocates, even when things go really wrong. Adjusters are not advocates, they are paid employees of the corporation and their job is to resolve each claim as time and cost efficiently as possible.
Imagine a motorist, passenger, or pedestrian who has sustained a brain injury or concussion.
Are you surprised to learn that ICBC does not have a policy to deal with this kind of injury? Or offer any support or assistance for folks with brain injuries to help them navigate accessing the care their insurance guarantees them?
In a system where lawyers have been kicked out and many of us don’t have family doctors, where does a person begin?
The system has changed, but not for the better when it comes to accessing care and helping people to recover and return to their lives.
Instead, we are stuck in a system where health-care providers refuse to book appointments without ICBC approval and ICBC refuses to provide approval without treatment plans from the health-care providers.
And we are somehow supposed to facilitate the communication between these systems ourselves without adequate support or information from either side.
This is not better. Eby should stop buying votes with rebates and reallocate this money to providing adequate health care for injured motorists, passengers and pedestrians.
Or consider reallocating the money to health care for all British Columbians, hire more medical staff, help us all get access to family doctors — but don’t try to buy our votes.
Matt Mortenson
Sooke
Under Eby’s changes, ICBC plays God
Re: “B.C. woman awarded $1.4 million in accident damages,” May 10.
Interesting that this story comes out the week that Premier David Eby announced a rebate on ICBC premiums.
If the accident happened today instead of 2018, the injured woman would be denied her day in court under the no-fault insurance available from ICBC. Denial of justice is what it is.
ICBC simply plays God under the new rules brought in by Eby’s NDP. Same rules for ICBC claims as WorkSafeBC.
William Burns
Victoria
Don’t forget who paid for that ICBC ‘gift’
How hypocritical of the provincial government to offer an ICBC rebate before an election. Premier David Eby proudly announced the “gift to B.C. drivers” — but he did not mention that the “gift” is our own money.
Daniel Nenzi
Sidney
We pay the premiums, we don’t get coverage
ICBC is hoping to butter us all up with a refund cheque on the backs of those who have a legitimate claim for damages and injury but can’t get any payment for such.
I would think that in any other industry where it is compulsory by law to pay for and obtain a service under false pretences would be classed a fraud.
Can you imagine other monopolies such as B.C. Hydro contracting with us for service and then shutting the service off repeatedly and indiscriminately on a whim with no recourse or reason?
Mike Wilkinson
Duncan
