A review of Insurance Corp. of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 rising injury claim cases finds no evidence for a common complaint that the provincial monopoly makes low offers, the Attorney GeneralB次元官网网址檚 ministry said Wednesday.

B次元官网网址淚CBC is not responsible in any observable, systemic way for making inappropriate offers or inappropriately pressing cases and this generating legal costs,B次元官网网址� says a report compiled by ministry lawyers.

B次元官网网址淚nstead, the claims files reveal beyond dispute that the longer the time taken to resolve a claim, the higher the cost.B次元官网网址�

was conducted last summer using aggregate data from claim files, plus 100 randomly selected claims that were settled between 2013 and 2017. They included major or catastrophic industry claims and minor injury claims, some where claimants hired lawyers and some where lawsuits were filed.

Soaring accident rates and an 80 per cent increase in claims costs over seven years have plagued ICBC, prompting Attorney General David Eby to introduce changes that include a $5,500 limit on payouts for pain and suffering. That cap takes effect April 1.

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Minor injury claim costs have increased steeply, averaging about $30,000 each by last year. A third of that is legal costs, both to ICBC for lawyers and expert reports, and to customers who hire lawyers to sue the corporation.

The settlement cap and a new claim resolution system to keep cases out of court are expected to cut as much as $1 billion from ICBCB次元官网网址檚 costs. Another change that ICBC board chair Joy MacPhail called long overdue is increasing the maximum benefit for serious injury claims from $150,000 to $300,000.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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