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The Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) and the British Columbia government have been hit with a nearly $900 million class action lawsuit accusing them of engaging in a secret agreement that allows the government to take money from ICBC to pay injury victims’ medical fees instead of billing the taxpayer-funded Medical Services Plan.
The ICBC class action lawsuit was filed in B.C. Supreme Court. If it is successful, everyone in British Columbia who has purchased auto insurance from ICBC and every injured auto accident victim in the province may be entitled to compensation.
According to the ICBC class action lawsuit, this agreement has allowed B.C. to access up to $60 million each year from the ICBC, which has increased the Medical Services Plan’s annual operating costs. As a result, drivers are forced to pay more for their insurance and accident victims receive lower payouts for their injuries.
The ICBC class action lawsuit was filed after recent reports showing the previous B.C. Liberal government took money from the ICBC’s profits in order to funnel the funds elsewhere. This “unlawful scheme” has allegedly been used by every provincial government since 1973.
Attorney General David Eby has declared that he will stop this practice and said the government had “treated ICBC like an ATM.”
29-year-old Braydon Methot is serving as the lead plaintiff for the “accident class” of car accident victims. He was injured in a rollover crash in 2014 and rendered a quadriplegic. Although he received an award of $160,000 for his injuries, he says he thinks his doctors’ fees were deducted.
According to the ICBC class action lawsuit, “ICBC wrongly represented to [accident victims] they had reached the limit of their accident benefits, when they had not.”
70-year-old Bob Rorison is serving as lead plaintiff for the “ratepayer class,” which includes all B.C. drivers who paid compulsory auto insurance through the ICBC. He says he has been insured by ICBC since 1973 and has not had an at-fault accident during this time. However, despite his good driving record, he says he’s watched his premiums increase steadily.
Bob believes the “remittances” for medical fees contributed to the increase in premiums. He says that he wants his money back and is fighting for everyone in British Columbia who purchased insurance from ICBC to get their money back as well.
The ICBC class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, misfeasance, breach of trust and breach of contract. It seeks to recover nearly $900 million plus damages and interest.
The ICBC class action lawsuit has reportedly been in the works for more than two years.
“People need to be able to trust public institutions, especially when they have no choice and are forced to use them,” attorney Scott Stanley said. “Even [multi-billionaire] Warren Buffett would have a tough time running an insurance company if the government was allowed to just take money from it.”
Did you purchase insurance through ICBC? Tell us what you think about this class action lawsuit in the comment section below!
The plaintiffs are represented by Murphy Battista LLP.
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6 thoughts onICBC Class Action Lawsuit Accuses Insurer of Overcharging B.C. Drivers
Icbc has never been a fair company, I have been dealing with them for 4 years after an accident that they refuse to pay for treatments ect. How do we sign up for the lawsuit?
ICBC have always been crooks, the only ones that get treated right are leases.
they have been ripping people off for way too long. we should be able to choose our insurance carrier, like other provinces.
i have been insured in quebec most my life but for about 1 1/2 years in bc and i kept telling everyone there that ICBC were the worst thieves and they were all brainwashed into accepting those fees ! i was paying in insurance twice the value of my car every year to get it insured. after a transfer of insurance to another car they cancelled my policy without telling me they only sent a check back in the mail then i get pulled over before knowing what happened the cop is saying im not insured, i say yes i just did last week so no need to argue i got the letter 2 days later i just took the check out the enveloppe and gave it back to them, but i still have to pay like 2000$ for that move they pulled on me ! gov at its best they keep stealing from the poor to keep for themselves !
Lots of issues with ICBC
I would love to join in the ICBC class acton, ICBC when i was receiving therapy’s would just not pay and then when i was in therapy is when i would find out so i would be forced to cough up the money, i bought some of my own medical supplies and when i took my settlement i was finally forced to do so because it took 4-5 years and i was a single daddy, when i got my settlement i had to pay i think$250,00 in medical expenses. These were deducted off the top, also at the time the B.C government charged me aprox $10,000 dollars for gst which i think was only in effect 2 yrs before my settlement and then no longer in effect 1 year later. PS i have documents I,m funny that way.
sir it is up to you to join on the class action, all you have to do is register yourself and get back what is rightfully yours ! dont do like so many people do when it comes to standing up to corrupt powers that be. you can treat yourself and you kid (s) with that because its yours not theirs they like us to think the oposite and its not only ICBC i had to fight E.I. for 5 years once for 1030 $ i know one K is not much but when its mine and not theirs i told them i was ready to loose more just to not pay that fake ammount, after 5 years no lawyers they had enough of me and they erased that debt. i did not owe them, why pay it !? stay strong have a good day