FAIR – supporting auto accident victims through advocacy and education
FAIR – supporting auto accident victims through advocacy and education
FAIR – supporting auto accident victims through advocacy and education
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MacFarlane says it will give the lawyers a taste of the “general feeling of stress and chaos” confronting litigants.
It might be hard to think clearly after a car accident so you should plan what to do and learn what questions may need answered before the collision occurs. Knowing what to do at the scene of a collision will help you stay calm and ensure that your rights are respected. http://otlablog.com/what-to-do-after-a-car-accident-the-dos-and-donts/
Ralph Palumbo has been knocking on MPPs doors at Queen’s Park for days, hoping to convince politicians of every stripe to pass Bill 171. And it hasn’t been easy.
“That would make for a huge savings, and get us to where we need to be,” he says. “But trying to get the MPPs to understand this isn’t easy. But both they and the trial lawyers have to understand there is a cost to be paid.”
Changes to auto insurance legislation in Bill 171 are beginning to get the discussion and attention in the legislature that Ontario’s MVA victims deserve after years of being maligned and labelled as ‘fraudsters’ by their insurance companies.
Ensuring that Ontario has a working insurance system that provides good coverage and an honest system of justice for accident victims is part of the bargain and the responsibility of the government. There is also a responsibility that accident victims are not harmed by the process itself by way of the lack of regulations and the harmful practices of some of Ontario’s medico-legal assessors during the course of a claim. We look forward to that issue becoming part of the debate. Media Release – BILL 171 – CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ACT April 16 2014
FIGHTING FRAUD AND REDUCING AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE RATES ACT, 2014
The battle lines are clearly drawn between The Industry and The Stakeholders, but who is manning the barricades? Leading the charge for the insurance industry is the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), one of the savviest and best-financed lobby groups in the country. On the other side are the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA), representing lawyers who negotiate and litigate for accident victims, and the Fair Associations for Victims of Accident Insurance Reform (FAIR), the victims’ lobby group.
FIGHTING FRAUD AND REDUCING AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE RATES ACT, 2014
“A more accurate title might be the “Christmas comes early for the insurance companies act.” This is an act in which the government is proposing to hand out another gift to huge insurance companies, at the expense of all auto insurance policyholders and accident victims.”
“It looks like it’s going to be a lot more money going back into the insurance industry. “
“Payment delayed is payment denied. Many people have low incomes and are struggling to get by; when a company says to them, “We are just going to sweat you out and wait you out,” many will be compelled to settle for a lower dollar amount because they can’t afford to wait. They need the money to get on with their lives.”
“The reduction in the interest rate that is meant to give insurance companies an incentive to settle and make payment only serves the interest of insurance companies, only serves to undermine policyholders, only serves to undermine justice in this province. Speaker, this part of the bill—and there are other problems—is an unconscionable change.”
“Let’s be serious here: This bill is nothing more than the Liberal government, without any consultation with the victims of automobile accidents and without any consideration for the victims of automobile accidents, handing yet another gift to the big insurance companies. You know what, Speaker? It’s a gift from the McGuinty-Wynne Liberals that comes at the expense of all of us who drive and buy car insurance, the policyholders; and all of us who will ever be in an accident that wasn’t our fault, the innocent accident victims.”
“This government is proposing to wipe out recourse to an independent judicial system that safeguards the fundamental rights of citizens, rights we have all come to expect in this great nation we call Canada, and to replace the courts with a tribunal. What happens if you’re injured, you can’t work, and the insurance company refuses to pay your income replacement? You can’t sue. It’s false to suggest that this will provide cost savings to the insurance industry and reduce insurance premiums.”
“There are 22 pages and I still haven’t found anything on fighting fraud. I just find incentives for insurance companies to make more money and nothing at all about reduction for the payers of this province who are mandated to have auto insurance, which is a good thing, we know. But we would hope that people would be able to claim the benefits when they need this service the most.”
“It will cost us all more in the long run, and it will put more money into the fur-lined silk pockets of the insurance companies. Don’t be fooled. Don’t be fooled again by this half-baked scam. Don’t be fooled by what’s on the table. Yes, get it to committee, but let’s correct it. It has a lot of faults, a lot of difficulties, and it needs great improvement. ”
“These changes will make it even harder for victims, as many will not be able to afford it and will just give up the fight. And what do these changes have to do with fighting fraud? Absolutely nothing. All they do is make it easier for insurance companies to wrongfully deny benefits and delay settlements.”