Results tagged “ICBC”

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) failed to prove an insured tried to defraud the corporation by faking the theft of his minivan, and B.C.'s provincial court ordered the public insurer to allow the claim.
In Brummitt vs. ICBC, Michael Brummitt filed a claim in June 2005 with ICBC that his 1999 Dodge Caravan was stolen from his driveway. A day or two later, the vehicle was recovered by police; the interior was extensively damaged by a fire that appeared to be deliberately set.
The theft occurred only days before the vehicle's insurance was due for renewal.
ICBC denied liability, alleging Brummitt took the mini-van or arranged with others to simulate a theft.
If a claimant asserts under oath that the vehicle was taken without his or her consent, the claimant does not have to prove that he or she did not participate in the loss, wrote Provincial Court of British Columbia Justice Ross Tweedale.
If the insurer alleges the claimant participated in the theft, that is an allegation of fraud the insurer must prove.
Fraud is a quasi-criminal allegation; accordingly, an insurer must prove fraud on a more stringent standard than simply a balance of probabilities, the judge wrote.
"Despite some aspects of Mr. Brummitt's evidence, his claim that his minivan was stolen is not highly unlikely," Tweedale found. He added that the evidence presented provided a basis for the conclusion that there were a number of ways for the Dodge to have been taken without Brummitt's knowledge.
"ICBC has not proven that Mr. Brummitt tried to defraud the corporation."

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ICBC representatives are on site in Prince Rupert, B.C. to aid ferry passengers and expedite the handling of all vehicle-related claims related to the sinking of the Queen of the North.
According to the Vancouver Sun, a Canadian Coast Guard vessel remained off B.C.'s north coast, scouring the choppy waters for fear there could yet be a missing passenger from a ferry that hit a rock and sank in the dead of night.
ICBC has been in contact with BC Ferries and has agreed to handle all vehicle-related claims. This will include expedited payments for the loss of the vehicle, as well as coverage for a replacement vehicle if required.
ICBC said in a release that its goal "is to have cheques in the customers' hands as soon as possible - immediately, or certainly within 24 hours."
The Sun reported the Queen of the North, sailing south on a 450-km overnight trip from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy along what's known as B.C.'s Inside Passage, hit the rock in choppy seas and high winds. It took about an hour for the boat to sink, allowing those aboard the ferry to get on the lifeboats and giving rescuers time to reach them.
The orderly rescue of dozens of people from the ferry's lifeboats – 42 crew members and 59 passengers – and the fact that no one was seriously injured is nothing short of miraculous, the president of B.C. Ferries, David Hahn, told the Sun.

Corporation told to move $530 million from optional policies
Michael Kane
Vancouver Sun

The provincial government is ordering the Insurance Corp. of B.C. to reallocate more than half of its financial reserves, a move that could lower rates on basic auto insurance.

But watchdog groups say the directive also puts the government back in charge of regulating the publicly owned insurer, while reducing the role of the B.C. Utilities Commission to that of a rubber stamp.

Most teens spend months counting down the days until they can drive.

While they see only the possibilities, parents are also aware of the responsibilities anyone takes on when climbing behind the wheel of a vehicle.

The ICBC difference

Most other insurance companies charge some of their highest rates to young drivers. Even if teens only drive their parents' car occasionally, the parents get hit with a noticeable increase in their insurance costs.

At ICBC, youth, sex and marital status are not used to determine your premium level. Every new driver, whether 16 or 56, will start out paying the base premium level when insuring a vehicle.

Basic Autoplan is the minimum amount of insurance any vehicle must carry to legally operate in British Columbia. For more description, see Getting started with Basic Autoplan.

Generally, Basic Autoplan provides coverage to protect you as a person in five different ways: