Tag Archives: ICBC

Even small accidents can lead to large injuries.

  In this recent Supreme Court of British Columbia case a plaintiff suffered what turned into a chronic neck injury after vehicle was struck from behind while stopped at a stop light: http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/15/06/2015BCSC0698.htm The amount of damage to the Plaintiff’s vehicle was only about $1,000. The Plaintiff in this action was a 37 year old […]

The government of British Columbia is cracking down on highway drivers…. driving too slowly.

New legislation will increase the power police have to pull over drivers who are obstructing the left or “passing lane” of a highway: As it stands now, there is already a $109 fine for driving in the left lane slow enough to obstruct traffic. Apparently, the problem with this old law was that it was […]

What do unpaid student loans have to do with driver’s licenses?

A proposed new law could see people unable to get or renew driver’s licenses if they have unpaid student loan debts: As many people already know, this law already applies to other government debts, including: speeding tickets, parking tickets, bridge tolls, and Translink fines. This new law, however, is arguably of a different character. What […]

What is an Examination for Discovery and can I be forced to attend one?

  If you bring an action in the Supreme Court of British Columbia you must make yourself available for an examination for discovery (an “XFD”). An XFD is an oral examination under oath. Furthermore, a written record is made of everything you say at an XFD. This means that anything you say can be used […]

ICBC Announces their Most Bizarre Insurance Scams of 2014

  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/icbc-s-most-bizarre-insurance-scams-of-2014-1.2936587 The temptation to scam an insurance corporation can be strong, as the potential payout can be large. Keep in mind that fraud is not only illegal, but it also has strong consequences in the insurance and legal world. It can be a reason for an insurance company to breach your insurance, which could […]

How will dash cams change the personal injury landscape?

The obvious answer is that in liability disputes dash cams will provide very strong evidence towards who is at fault for a motor vehicle accident. This can be extremely valuable to a plaintiff who is injured by a defendant that is not telling the truth. It can also be valuable to a defendant who is […]

What are the consequences of lying to ICBC?

Lying to ICBC either before or after a car accident can be disastrous. It gives ICBC reason to void your insurance. The law allows them to do so if an insured commits fraud or makes a “willfully false statement with respect to a claim”. If you get into an accident and your insurance has been […]

Can I be found liable for an accident even if I am driving below the posted speed limit?

Although violating a speed limit is likely to get you a large ticket (and potentially other penalties), compliance with speed limits alone will not dictate who is at fault for an accident. It seems intuitive that relying on the posted speed limit to dictate how fast you travel should be a valid defence, but this […]

Can I make a claim for business losses for my new business, even if I have not earned anything from it yet?

This issue was recently dealt with by the Supreme Court of British Columbia: http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/14/24/2014BCSC2429.htm Here, a part time accountant, who had plans to expand her business into a full time practice, was injured in a motor vehicle accident. As a result of the injuries she sustained in this accident, she was unable to expand her […]