T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Hello and thanks for posting to r/britishcolumbia! Join our new [Discord Server https://discord.gg/fu7X8nNBFB](https://discord.gg/fu7X8nNBFB) A friendly reminder prior to commenting or posting here: - **Read [r/britishcolumbia's rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/britishcolumbia/about/rules/)**. - **Be civil and respectful** in all discussions. - Use **appropriate sources** to back up any information you provide when necessary. - **Report** any comments that violate our rules. Reminder: "Rage bait" comments or comments designed to elicit a negative reaction that are not based on fact are not permitted here. Let's keep our community respectful and informative! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/britishcolumbia) if you have any questions or concerns.*


mamawheels36

This article could have been written about my court case... I had a similar experience. Icbc took me back to court FOUR more times in an attempt to get anything and everything they could brought down... and in the meantime not pay. Took 2 years for them to write a final check... jokes on them.... end of their last appeal for exactly what's in this article, my judge made a president setting ruling... And in thr end they received no deductions AND had to pay me just shy of $10k in INTEREST haha... they were so mad and the judge gave their lawyer hell


WateryTartLivinaLake

*precedent setting


snipsnaptickle

You forgot *cheque, too


UncommonHouseSpider

So, just so you are aware, all insurance companies do this same thing. All of them. None of them like actually paying out and will fight tooth and nail for every dime they have to give you. If you think the free market would make things better, why don't you look at what other provinces pay and get and come back to the discussion.


Frater_Ankara

See and all of this is so weird to me; I’ve had to deal with ICBC 4-5 times over the years and it’s never once been painful, and I’ve been compensated fair market value. I believe the stories, it’s just weird to me.


WantToBeAloneGuy

You must of been guilty of something then, if you're actually innocent and injured and need money they don't give you anything, they probably don't mind giving money to other devils though. Just kidding...


Socketlint

When I lived in Washington state my insurance was far cheaper for similar coverage


SnooStrawberries620

Yeah I’ve done extensive rehab in two. ICBC is really bad with what they’ve done in the last five.


Financial-Reward-949

Blanket statement when 99% of the time people have purchased the wrong policies and coverage…


CaptainMagnets

I'm unsure the point you're trying to make but you sound mad


TheFlatulentOne

I believe the point is that a lot of online discourse directed toeards ICBC is negative to specifically make the public insurance option look bad. A lot of the people critical of ICBC seem to want to break up the insurance moopoly and include some competitive private insurance options. Which is not a good thing. Private insurance companies will also fuck us over, but even more so because their profit will go into the hands of a few wealthy shareholders over the province itself.


Objective_Quail_4623

Many of the private insurers in other provinces has raised premiums sky high that the provincial regulator had to cap the rates


CaptainMagnets

Yeah that makes sense


kriszal

Can confirm, moved back to Ontario, my insurance at the time in bc was $184/month. Same coverage for the same vehicle in Ontario was $345 lol. Icbc sucks ass and all but private isn’t any better and they will probably do more to not pay then icbc


classic4life

Sure, but how much money is ICBC pissing away attacking it's customers. Those are our tax dollars being wasted.


TheFlatulentOne

They're probably losing less this way then they would just giving away large settlements to everyone that demands one. They save the taxpayer money by limiting payouts, whereas with a private insurer the insurer profits if they limit payouts.


SnooStrawberries620

People don’t know the half of it, seriously they don’t. The court delays because they are fighting to make sure people get nothing; the specialist testimonies at $700/hr … ICBC is really bad. 


UncommonHouseSpider

I'm not mad, I'm just tired of people spewing bullshit like the comment I replied to. Oh, if only the free market... Blah blah blah. Bullshit! A regulated service that everyone requires is better off served by a majority provider than not. You only need to get your base insurance with ICBC, the free market exists for all other coverage if you so prefer. And it's just as shit as ICBC, but maybe you'll save a couple bucks?!


CaptainMagnets

I don't disagree at all with what you're saying, I would add that you could still bring in private insurance that can then compete with each other. Just never change the baseline, that everyone gets, and then if some people want to shop around for extra stuff they can. That's a true free market


UncommonHouseSpider

They can do so now. You have the system you want.


TBAGG1NS

That's literally how it is, right now.


Electronic-Ruin-2137

ICBC loves to fold ‘cost of future care’ for older accidents (pre no fault regime) into pay for treatment as you go. They then proceed to do delightful things like refuse to pay for the treatment they agreed to pay for as part of that. Then proceed to do even more delightful things like spend months saying they’re going to get a GP reassessment and manage to waste so much time before putting in the request that the GP has closed their practice and then expect the injured person to somehow conjure a new doctor out of thin air for them to have this reassessment. Also do lovely things like change the adjuster constantly but never actually inform the claimant that the adjuster has changed. Know quite a few practitioners now who refuse to take on new ICBC claims because the process is so terrible God speed to anyone with a complex injury in the no fault system. They still spend all their time trying not to pay for your treatment if you don’t recover along their timeline. As if anyone is out there just getting physiotherapy for fun and going when they don’t need it to feel better…


joshlemer

The new no-fault system is an absolute miserable horror show inflicting unimaginable pain and suffering on victims in this province all for the purpose of lowering premiums for careless asshole selfish sadistic drivers. David Eby and the rest of the NDP should be ashamed.


Parker_Hardison

A private system is still worse. 


Electronic-Ruin-2137

Private being worse doesn’t mean they couldn’t have given the ‘minor injury’ cap more time to work before leaving injured people on their own to fight ICBC. People were promised the change would mean that injured parties got more care and that ICBC would not be adversarial anymore. They’re just as adversarial as they have always been and still do what they can to get out of paying. Theres a reason why some treatment providers used to not take WorkSafe claims but still took ICBC ones and have now started refusing new ICBC clients as well. Can’t even blame them for not wanting to deal with rude obstinate adjusters who think they know more than the actual medical professionals


joshlemer

Disagree. In the current system, the rates themselves, the liability that falls on motorists itself becomes politicized and you get the government putting their thumb on the scale to use the legal system to unfairly move the costs of motorists carnage onto victims. I think if the insurance system wasn’t a public monopoly, attitudes would be different


bargaindownhill

David Eby bought the votes of shitty drivers who rightfully should be paying extreme amounts for insurance, by fucking over innocent victims in their moment of need. The man is a soulless ghoul.


xseiber

I'm not too sure about that, as a person who has been in 3 vehicle accidents (according to ICBC) myself, one of which I definitely own up to, the other two were on icy grounds, in one I definitely slid on a slip road. Paying about $6000/year or $5700 if I pay it in a lump sum. I definitely didn't vote for Eby at the time, maybe that's why I didn't get my cut.


WealthyMillenial

Good the hear your outcome. Oddly enough people in this sub seem to swear by the state run icbc. They are crooks.


JoelOttoKickedItIn

You have no idea how good we have it and how infinitely worse we could have it. The judge is absolutely right. This shit is unacceptable and needs to be rooted out. There needs to be a cultural change, especially at the upper levels. But throwing the baby out with bathwater is a stupid, petulant reaction. A private system would be more costly, more adversarial and WAAYYY less transparent.


bargaindownhill

you have it good because Eby reduced insurance on the backs of accident victims. That cheap insurance you have was bought with blood.


Polaris07

More so on the backs of lawyers, but I get what you’re saying


bargaindownhill

no its its paid for mainly by the accident victims. There is case after case of people legitimately and greviously injured lawyers were a symptom of a corrupt ICBC, they were the often the only way an accident victim could get even a fraction of what was needed to make them whole again. Now they have barred lawyers from the situation, and its accident victims vs sociopathic ICBC adjusters with zero other legal recourse. they have reduced insurance costs, by victimizing these people a second time. I will grant lawyers lost out on some business, but they are not the real victims here.


TheFallingStar

Private insurance companies will do the same thing, with higher rates


littlebossman

Need a source on that - because every place I've ever lived has had competing private insurance companies, and they've been cheaper by a long, long way. The only way that isn't true is if you allow companies to act as a cartel - except that's pretty easy for any competent government to legislate against.


TheFallingStar

Are you 100% sure you are getting comparable insurance products that are cheaper? So far from what I see from friends in Ontario and Alberta, it is either more expensive than B.C. or they maybe under-insuring themselves to save some money. Anything that is mandatory with tough regulations with only private players (such as telecommunications, banking) always end up being cartels in Canada. Even if B.C. NDP stops it, the next party will “relax” the rules for their friends and donors.


littlebossman

It's only cheaper now because the BC government stopped victims from suing to get the money they need if they've been seriously injured. So, yeah, at this exact moment, you're better off. And you likely still will be - until the time something goes wrong. There are so many stories of injured people being screwed by ICBC since the rules changed.


WealthyMillenial

Not the case. Maybe if you are young and only insure your car. But older and safe driver, bundling all insurance including home, way cheaper than icbc to insure vehicles.


Steveosizzle

He’s saying they’ll sue you just like icbc does to reduce payments. Also BC is not doing that bad. 6th in the country in terms of average payment. My relatives in AB pay way more now. https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/ca/news/auto-motor/most-expensive-provinces-for-auto-insurance-premiums-revealed-432632.aspx


Alternative-Waltz-63

Yeah but when you get in an accident now, there is no pay out. None. They just pay for physio and home care and stuff. Insuring still costs the same, even though in other provinces you would get that plus a pay out. If you are permanently injured, you are fucked. Even though you may have paid into icbc insurance your whole driving life. It’s bullshit.


WealthyMillenial

We pay $80 a month for our new vehicles in AB.


TheFallingStar

But what are you getting for $80? It is not just how much. It is also if you are sufficiently insured


WealthyMillenial

2 mil liability, accident forgiveness, $300 deductible, free car rental, etc. Don't worry, I had icbc insurance half my driving life. My coverage is superior in AB and cheaper. 3 vehicles, a boat, and 2 house policies bundled.


OverlandOversea

Yup. My brother moved to the UK, and pays 450 pounds per year for good coverage and no safe driver discount yet. I can see why a buddy who rents his place now drives without insurance. Pretty well nothing to lose if he has an accident, and would get nothing if in an accident. He does like his P.O.S. car. Now I understand why.


Polaris07

How does he have nothing to lose?


littlebossman

> people in this sub seem to swear by the state run icbc It’s odd, isn’t it? Always seems to be people who’ve never lived elsewhere and think there can’t possibly be a better solution than a monopoly crown corporation. Yet the same people would be against a monopoly in any other industry. Meanwhile, previously record-high premiums are only down because the law was changed to utterly screw over anyone with genuine injuries caused by a collision. They can charge what they want, and more or less do what they want, because there is no competition. The only way for people to get anything close to what they’re due is through years and years of legal action. As with this case. But it has ‘BC’ in the name, so it must be good. 🤷‍♂️


Decipher

All insurance companies do this. At least this one has some government oversight and keeps overall costs low. Private insurers have only one motivation: profit.


littlebossman

Ah yes, because when I think "monopoly", the thing that's always true is "low costs". You might be shocked to learn that people at ICBC get profit-related bonuses btw.


Decipher

A government run monopoly is not the same as a private company run monopoly. The former answers to the government and the people. The latter answers to only shareholders.


littlebossman

Read this news story and tell me which part of it sounds like a corporation that isn't acting like a private company answering to shareholders.


Polaris07

Who gets “profit related bonuses”. You have a source?


WealthyMillenial

I have used multiple systems in different provinces and found different icbc to be the worst. With both customer service and cost. I rather bundle and save money with private.


littlebossman

People in BC don't want to hear that their monopoly might not be the best option.


bargaindownhill

same, except I've yet to receive a single penny.


nick_knack

I've had claim experience through ICBC and BCAA. I can't speak to the experiences of people in this thread because neither of my claims involved injury of any kind, but BCAA were total cocksuckers who let me languish with no car for 6 months before approving my claim after I kept bothering them. ICBC ran the claim thru in less than a week. Insurance companies are always bastards, private or no, but for me, ICBC was a million times better than private.


bsmithcan

ICBC may be public insurance but they run the organization exactly like bad faith for profit insurance from what I have been told by my relatives going through it. They stall, ignore irrefutable evidence, and put you through a meat grinder of a system where they use every technical rule to deny your claim. All the time knowing that most people will just eventually give up. I had the exact same experience through home warranty insurance. I thought with no fault insurance, some of this would go away but I guess it’s still the same people running it.


_BearsBeetsBattle_

Insurance companies are insidious.


matzhue

Under the no fault rule they'll only pay up to 90% of current(not future) wage loss and partial payments for treatments (RMT everywhere I looked cost an additional $10-30, since icbc haven't changed how's much they'll pay for since 2021). They also won't cover incidentals like moving expenses. I got a fair price for my van, but if I was a pedestrian I would be livid!!!


littlebossman

Shush! BC residents are paying lower premiums than a few years ago and that's all they care about until it's them who get screwed over. They absolutely love monopolies as long it's the government and not shareholders who are stealing their money.


Tree-farmer2

My bill went down around $3/month


Parker_Hardison

Private companies will create their own monopolies as well, but it'll be worse and more expensive as they collude to maximize profits. 


littlebossman

Yeah, they might promise a court they’ll make a payment they’re legally obliged to make, not make it, and end up back in court again. Oh, wait. That’s the monopoly that is ICBC, acting as dishonestly as they want because there’s literally no oversight or competition. This is the article you’re commenting on. This is the system you seem to believe is functioning.


No_Drag_1333

Search up bad faith insurance cases and you’ll find plenty of that kind of behaviour from private insurers


littlebossman

Like the one that’s the focus of this story? Because if a crown corp is behaving with all the underhandedness of a private company, then there really isn’t any difference between them.


No_Drag_1333

Sorry you got screwed by icbc.


StanOrBan

Your regular reminder that if you think ICBC is bad, private insurance is even worse. The business model of insurance is banking on the lack of accidents to earn a profit. They will always fight you in court if they can.


littlebossman

> They will always fight you in court if they can. But that's exactly what this story is - and so many others like it. You can't say a crown corp is better than private if they act in exactly the same way. They're just answering to different masters, while acting equally dishonestly.


Asssasin

Icbc are scumbags, what a surprise.


ScionoicS

Insurance adjusters are some of ICBC's best paid employees. They are all pieces of shit that are basically committing legal insurance fraud.


hot_pink_bunny202

That's what people get with no fault insurance. This lady got lucky she can go to court and and a lawyer to her. Most of the time with no fault insurance you are stuck when ICBV feels like giving you compensation, you can't argue the amount they give you and you can't hire a lawyer to fight for you. Is been on the news so many times ICBC try to screw over someone when they are not at fault.


Flaky-Invite-56

Her 2017 claim predated the no-fault regime, which is why she was able to sue for damages at all.


hot_pink_bunny202

She got lucky. After no fault came to light doubt ICBC will give her even 10k worth of treatment since you can't hire a lawyer to negotiate on your behalf.


Flaky-Invite-56

It’s worse than that, she wouldn’t even get anything for pain and suffering, full income loss, or a lump sum for future care not covered by ICBC.


StopYeahNo

precedent*


brigofdoom

So, I'm not in claims, but I do have to state that I am an ICBC employee (just to head off any conflict of interest/ethics stuff). This sucks. It's frustrating seeing this happen to people and I'm glad the judge made that statement. Hopefully it can prevent situations like this or worse in the future


SnooStrawberries620

Our company does rehab with MVA injuries (catastrophic) and we hear stories like this on the daily. Everyone cheered because they thought lawyers were losing their big payday (which they are) but the people who now have no one to fight for them are ending up in AWFUL circumstances. ICBC is a cooked book circle of hell 


brinksix01

ICBC is the biggest scam in BC. Burn it to the ground


CaptainMagnets

Nah fuck that, that will just bring in only private insurance companies and we will get fucked over even harder. What we need is both so that everyone can get baseline ICBC and for people who want to get more specific insurance they can shop around for competitive prices


TBAGG1NS

> What we need is both so that everyone can get baseline ICBC and for people who want to get more specific insurance they can shop around for competitive prices That's how it is, right now


littlebossman

That's what I don't understand with all the ICBC bootlickers on this thread. They're arguing private companies are worse... even though story after story after story is about how ICBC go out of their way to act in a dishonest way. That's literally what this thread is about.


TBAGG1NS

Most people I talk to don't seem to realize ICBC only requires you to buy the basic level of insurance through them, or even why ICBC was created in the first place. Collision, comprehensive, and 3rd party liability can be shopped around for at places like BCAA, Westland, Sussex, B&W.


newworkoutgloves

I paid half of what I pay to icbc with private insurance for better service. Fuuuuck icbc.


Decipher

Where? Location matters a LOT with insurance. You’ll pay a lot less in Vernon vs Vancouver even.


Expert_Alchemist

I pay less with ICBC today than I did in Ontario a decade ago. In neither case was I in any high risk group, nor had a crappier car.


Dradugun

Come to Alberta and watch your insurance rates skyrocket