ICBC gives way to a policy of charging cyclists, pedestrians and other active transport users for damage to vehicles in collisions for which they were partly responsible.
The changes came after Vancouver cyclist Ben Bolliger made public his story that he had received a $ 3,700 bill for damage to the car’s hood and windshield after he was hit at an intersection.
The crash sent Boliger to hospital last summer, broke the front of his motorcycle and destroyed his helmet and phone. He says he now resigns himself to the fact that he will never regain full range of motion with his right hand.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the insurer said it would no longer send repair bills to cyclists or pedestrians who suffer catastrophic injuries, which ICBC considers 50/50 liability, as there is not enough evidence to determine what what happened or when it happened was fatal.
When a cyclist or pedestrian was seriously injured, ICBC said the case would be carefully examined by a panel of experts.
Ben Bolliger holds parts of the motorcycle he was riding when he was hit by a car in 2021. On Wednesday, the ICBC announced that it was changing its policy when it came to charging pedestrians and cyclists involved in collisions. (CBC)
“Our new care-based model is only one year old and we will continue to look for ways to improve the way we provide improved care for British Colombians,” said Nicolas Jimenez, ICBC’s chief executive, in a written statement.
The corporation also said it had recently received a final police report on the Bolliger crash, which led to a change in ICBC’s decision on liability. He now holds the driver 100 percent responsible for the crash.
“Therefore, Mr. Boliger is not liable for any damages or expenses and will be fully compensated for the damage to his bicycle and any other items,” the statement said.
Bolger said the message was a “huge burden” on his shoulders.
“It feels good,” he said. “When I received this letter in March, it was so ridiculous that it was somehow in the realm of the way ICBC was doing at the time.”
Bolger says it is surreal to feel at the center of history and his case to change ICBC policy.
“Let’s be honest, there’s a really good job done by a lot of other people. It so happened that I was hit by a car and wrote on Twitter about it when I got a ridiculous ICBC bill,” he said, calling the BC Cycling Coalition and HUB .
Bolliger says there are still problems with the way ICBC handles his case and the like.
He said he would like to see injured people get faster and easier access to compensation for missed work, saying it was wrong to first exhaust the employer’s paid sick leave and apply for medical treatment. employment insurance before ICBC pays.
“It was a really challenging experience,” he said. “The longer I’ve been involved in the ICBC process and dealing with issues related to my request, this is a time I don’t really devote to focusing on my own recovery and getting better.”
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