Penticton Bicycle Accident Lawyers
If you have been recently injured in a Penticton bicycle accident, you may have already noticed the many ways in which your life has been adversely affected by the negligence of a motor vehicle operator. Injured bicycle accident victims often find themselves struggling to cope with the physical, psychological, and financial demands that often follow a serious collision.
Since implementing their new “enhanced care” model of automotive insurance coverage, ICBC has made life even more difficult for vulnerable road-users who have been injured in accidents caused by the wrongful actions (or inactions) of a negligent driver. This new method of providing no-fault accident benefits to all parties injured in motor vehicle collisions has already left many cyclists feeling abandoned by ICBC. While the system was purportedly implemented to reduce drivers’ monthly insurance premiums, it disproportionately and unfairly impacts vulnerable road-users who are most susceptible to severe, collision-related injuries, like cyclists.
Cyclists who have been injured after this “enhanced care” model went into effect on May 1, 2021 no longer have the right to pursue compensation from the negligent driver whose misconduct on the road caused their collision to occur. Whereas cyclists who were struck before May 1, 2021 may be entitled to work with our Penticton bicycle accident lawyers to pursue a civil claim against the at-fault motorist, bicycle riders who sustained injuries in accidents that took place after that date have fewer compensatory options available to them.
Under this new system imposed by ICBC, anyone who has sustained injuries in a motor vehicle collision should be entitled to no-fault accident benefits. That means that, even if a negligent driver was responsible for permanently injuring an innocent bicycle accident victim, the at-fault party will not be held liable for their wrongful actions.
Furthermore, the Crown corporation has made it more difficult to appeal denied ICBC claims or unfairly low settlement offers. Instead, the amount of compensation available to an injured bicycle accident victim will be determined exclusively by ICBC, with limited avenues to dispute unfair decisions.
On top of that, this new system makes injured cyclists beholden to the provincially-owned insurance provider, even if they themselves are not insurance policyholders. Injured victims of local bicycle accident victims may find themselves fighting a futile battle against a major insurance company to receive– and continue receiving– the care and compensation to which they should be entitled.
To voice your concerns over this new “enhanced care” model of insurance coverage implemented by ICBC, contact your MLA.
If you were injured in a collision before May 1, 2021, our bicycle accident lawyers serving Penticton may be able to help you fight for fair treatment and fair compensation. By working with our Penticton bicycle accident lawyers, cyclists who were struck by vehicles operated by negligent drivers before May 1, 2021 may be entitled to pursue a civil claim for damages, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses
- Home modifications to accommodate new disabilities
- Housekeeping services
- Physical therapy
- Psychological treatment
- Prescriptions
- Mileage to and from medical appointments
- Medical equipment
- Prosthetics
- Ambulatory assistive devices
- Legal fees
- And possibly more
To review your case with our bicycle accident lawyers serving Penticton, contact us today.
Call 1-800-JUSTICE for a Free Initial Consultation
Our Penticton bicycle accident lawyers provide a free initial consultation to all members of the local community. Regardless of when your injury-causing collision took place, it might be beneficial to take advantage of your cost-free, no-obligation first meeting with our bicycle accident lawyers serving Penticton.
To learn more about options that might be available to you in the wake of an injurious Penticton bicycle accident, call 1-800-JUSTICE.
