If you’ve been in a car accident in BC, you’ll find that dealing with ICBC is a fairly unique situation when settling your ICBC car accident claim. There are only three provinces in Canada (including BC) with a government run car insurance monopoly. This insurance system creates some challenges to anyone trying to settle their car accident claim without a car accident lawyer.
Although ICBC has to offer a fair settlement, they can hardly be completely unbiased. After all, it’s in the best interests of both the company and the taxpayer to keep ICBC car accident settlements as low as possible. However, as a car accident victim, you want and deserve the cash settlement you deserve.
ICBC Settlement Timeline
The following is a list of 5 things you should NOT do when deciding to settle your ICBC accident claim.
- Do not settle too fast. Settling before you have a complete understanding of the long term effects of your injuries and the medical costs associated with those injuries can be extremely detrimental.
- Do not be intimidated by the insurance agent. The insurance business is complicated. You’re not expected to know all the rules, but take the time to familiarize yourself with the basics or hire an experienced legal team to help you. Klein Lawyers works on contingency fees – so it will cost you nothing to ensure you‘re being treated fairly.
- Do not wait to file an accident claim. There are strict rules regarding notice and limitation periods. These rules are very complicated and ICBC has no obligation to ensure your paper work is filed before your deadline. Once a deadline is reached without proper action you have no recourse to sue for damages.
- Do not put off your medical treatments – it’s critical to see the same family doctor throughout the course of your crash claim.
- Do not wait to get a legal opinion before you settle. You owe it to yourself to ensure you get the ICBC car accident settlement you deserve.
