$45,000 Offer of Settlement in the Age of ICBC Injury Caps

When ICBC pays for injuries, the worth or value of the claim is determined by judges following accepted values of justice and fairness. However, After April 1, 2019 there will be a government-imposed injury cap of $5,500 and the auto Insurance monopoly, ICBC, will be handed over the power to deny claims as Minor Injuries. These claimants will be…

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Double Costs Reduced for Late Offer as Jury Dismisses Claim

In this case review the injury claimant was rear-ended in a car accident and claimed a loss of $500,000 due to her injury.  The defendants admitted liability and called for a jury trial. About two months before the jury trial the defendants made an offer to settle the case for $50,000 plus taxable costs and disbursements. Two weeks before…

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ICBC Pays Double for Failing to Accept Settlement Offer

For ICBC, money must really grow on trees. In this car accident injury case the claimant delivered a formal offer to settle for $398,000 less what had already been paid by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, ICBC. The defendants countered with a settlement offer of $238,000 less what had already been paid by ICBC. The Court…

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Settling with ICBC and the Cost of Expert Reports

ICBC suffered a knock out blow in this car accident case. ICBC had made formal offers to settle in the amounts of $25,000.00 and $35,000.00 for personal injuries and subsequently settled for $45,000.00 plus costs and disbursements (case expensese) agreed or assessed. The claimants case expenses totalled $32,000 at the time of settlement. Three months after…

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Defining a New Money Offer as ICBC Awarded Legal Costs

This ICBC offer to settle case review focuses on the definition of the term “new money” when contained in a written settlement offer. ICBC offered to settle this personal injury claim for $105,000 new money plus costs but the claimant rejected the offer making a counter-offer of $450,000.00. The judge ultimately awarded $87,250, comprised of $80,000 for…

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ICBC Injury Settlements Changing Landscape

Car accident victims were delivered a catastrophic blow affecting injury settlements for 2018 and the future. Laws passed by a newly formed coalition government empower ICBC to deny, and not settle, injury claims. This has unleashed a flurry of low ICBC settlement offers and dire warnings for the future of  innocent victim compensation in British Columbia. Many…

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$1.00 ICBC Offer Rejected and Injury Claim Dismissed

This personal injury claimant proceeded to trial without a lawyer and his claim was dismissed. ICBC had offered $1.00 to the claimant to settle the case before trial and after the claim was dismissed ICBC sought double costs for the claimant’s failure to accept the offer. This ICBC personal injury case involved a collision on Westside Road…

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$175,000 ICBC Offer Rejected and Court Awards $174,360 plus Costs

An offer to settle in any personal injury case should be clear and unambiguous. The claimant and ICBC should use plain language when settling car accident cases. The offer  of settlement should avoid colloquialisms or idioms that are understood by a limited audience. In today’s case review an ICBC insured sought to deny an injury…

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Brain Injury Case Appeal Dismissed as Fact Driven

A car accident injury claimant is entitled to appeal a Supreme Court decision to the Court of Appeal. However, as shown in our case study, absent a palpable and overriding error affecting the trial judge’s assessment of the facts, the Appeal Court will not interfere with a finding of fact or an inference based on those facts.…

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