The answer is  NO  a  signed statement is not required after a car accident when applying for accident benefits from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC.  You are required to give a written report not a signed statement. As a personal injury lawyer in BC since 1995 I refuse to let my clients sign unnecessary statements to the insurance company, ICBC.  The reporting requirements are dependent on the type of ICBC benefit being claimed and more can be learned at the personal injury website Hurtbc.  The difference between a report and a statement is that an ICBC statement more easily constitutes a previous inconsistent statement of the sort that would detract from the credibility of your trial testimony.
In fact one of the most serious problems with credibility can be if a statement or prior representation to ICBC contradicts your subsequent trial testimony. Giving a statement to an ICBC insurance company adjuster could be the worse step you take in you personal injury claim.  We can solve this issue of giving statements to ICBC simply by looking at the wording of the personal injury legislation in BC. The written report is intended to provide ICBC with the circumstances and consequences of the collision.
Swearing an affidavit, providing a statutory declaration, making an acknowledgement or signing an ICBC Insurance Claim Application can open you to assertions of  misrepresentation, and that of making a wilfully false statement with respect to a claim for insurance benefits and coverage. Best to talk to a lawyer before signing any documents and learn more by watching our short video about giving statements to ICBC . Get more free legal information at Hurtbc.
Posted by ICBC Injury Claims Lawyer Mr. Renn A. Holness, B.A. LL.B.- Working for the injured, not ICBC or any or insurance company.
 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post comment