PASSENGER ACCIDENT CLAIMS

If you are the passenger of a British Columbia licensed and insured vehicle, you have the right to make an ICBC claim for “no-fault” benefits, whether or not you are a resident of British Columbia.

You also have the right to make an ICBC injury claim against the at-fault motorist who struck you, even if you are not a resident of British Columbia. This can include a claim for pain and suffering, for out of pocket expenses, for loss of housekeeping capacity, for future loss of housekeeping capacity, for loss of income and past diminished earning capacity, for future diminished earning capacity, for cost of future care, and for an in-trust claim.

There can also exist certain situations where you would need to sue the driver of the vehicle you were in, in order to achieve full compensation for your injuries. This would occur in the event that the driver is partially to blame for the accident. Sometimes, this can even include another family member. Many people are reluctant to sue a family member, for fear that the family member would be responsible for paying the full amount of an injury claim out of their own pocket. However, it should be noted that this is normally not the case, as the family member’s insurance policy would pay for the ICBC injury claim. Depending on the family member’s driving history, premiums may or may not go up. There do exist rare circumstances, however, where the family member may be responsible for the payment of the value of the ICBC passenger injury claim. For example, if the family member is driving an uninsured vehicle.

Sometimes, passengers of vehicles that have been involved in a motor vehicle accident will want to protect the driver of the vehicle they are in from any liability exposure. As such, their statements to ICBC on how the accident happened may not be totally accurate. However, upon learning that in order to achieve maximum value for their ICBC passenger injury claim, they may also have to sue the driver of the vehicle they were in, they may wish to make an amended statement. Unfortunately, at this point, this will greatly affect their credibility, and will likely not help their case. When giving any statement to ICBC, it is important to be truthful right from the start.

Please contact us for a free consultation if you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident as a passenger, and wish to make an ICBC injury claim.

HOW WE CAN HELP

At Veale Law, we offer you a free consultation to discuss your case, and to advise you of your legal rights and obligations. For a free consultation, call us 24 hours a day at either 604-685-2833 or toll free at 1-855-685-2833, email us at info@vealelaw.com, or fill out our free consultation form on the right.

We also offer you a legal contingency fee of 20%, the lowest in the province of British Columbia for a passenger or passengers involved in a motor vehicle accident. On an average ICBC passenger injury claim, this can save you thousands of dollars. If you have an existing offer from ICBC, and would like us to finalize your matter for you, you will not be charged a fee on the amount of your existing offer from ICBC, and our fee will only be based on any amount recovered in excess of your current offer. You don’t pay us anything up front, you don’t make any payments along the way, and you don’t pay us anything until we resolve your ICBC injury claim for you. In reality, no money ever leaves your pockets, as our fee comes out of the settlement money. For your convenience, home and hospital appointments are also available.

We also serve clients throughout British Columbia, whether you are a resident of British Columbia, or a non-resident of British Columbia, that have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in British Columbia.

There are many benefits to having Veale Law represent you in your ICBC passenger injury claim:

• Protection of your legal rights
• Explanation of your legal obligations
• Dealing with ICBC on your behalf
• Payment of disbursements on your behalf
• Explanation of what damages you can claim
• Maximization of the value of your injury claim

If you elect to have Veale Law represent you, we will do so with passion and dedication. We keep fully abreast with the current case law. We will apply our legal knowledge, experience, and skills to the facts of your case in order to achieve the best possible result for you. ICBC has trained adjusters and experienced lawyers representing their interests. You need someone to protect yours.

We look forward to serving all your personal injury needs, and to getting you the justice that you so rightly deserve. Contact Veale Law now.