Posted on 03/31/2022 11:39:21 AM PDT by Red Badger
Eight months into his recovery after being struck by a car while biking, Ben Bollinger of Vancouver, Canada received a surprise bill for $3,752.01. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) was asking him to recoup the damages caused to the vehicle that hit him, Global News reports.
Bollinger told Global News that he was riding on a bike path when a vehicle ran a stop sign and collided with him. He said that he flew 14 meters, or about 46 feet, after being struck and was hospitalized with a broken hand and foot.
But the ICBC claimed that he was driving an uninsured vehicle at the time of the collision, so he has to pay for damages, since the driver was insured.
This may be an unintended result of British Columbia’s no-fault-style insurance policy, which means that all B.C. residents can receive benefits for injuries, wage loss, and damages after a crash, regardless of who was at fault. Accident victims cannot sue the at-fault driver. At-fault drivers have few consequences for their actions aside from an increase in premiums. And that includes cyclists.
In theory, this plan was intended to provide all parties better access to care and coverage after an accident — but it can also have unintended consequences of the kind we can see here, where Bollinger can be charged with causing damage to an at-fault vehicle.
Here’s a little more from the Global Canada article about why this issue is popping up:
But Vancouver lawyer Kyla Lee said cases like Bolliger’s are becoming more common, now that cyclists and other uninsured individuals do not have the ability to sue ICBC or insured drivers under the new insurance model.
“It gives ICBC all the power, and what we see when ICBC has the power is they try and get as much money from people as they can and save themselves from paying out as much money as they can when it comes to a claim,” Lee said.
It's a harsh blow to Bollinger, who had metal plates inserted during the reconstruction of his hand — of which he will never regain full motion.
Why do we need insurance, or should I say mandatory insurance?
Now is where someone will tell me because government will then step in and taxpayers will pay for doctors, repairs and loss of time or life. So what? They will do this anyway, no matter if there is insurance or not.
Government mandates insurance as another form of control. It is not about protecting others, it is about placing chains on our life force. It is in line with business licenses, drivers licenses, housing permits, Environmental protections et al. These things do not make life safer, cleaner, or just. It does though, make us all slaves.
Or twinkle toes....Obozo.
A girls bike of course. Curtin hanger is such a tool.
Happens here as well.................
I used to cycle a lot, and that was my philosophy. Use a bike trail if it was there, then side roads, and main roads only when there was no alternative. Even then, all I usually had to do was cross the main road at some point, not drive along it.
They fall into two categories; regular dumbasses, and the activists...Critical Mass-holes.
“cases like Bolliger’s are becoming more common, now that cyclists and other uninsured individuals do not have the ability to sue ICBC or insured drivers...”
Unless the law prevents cyclists from obtaining vehicle insurance, I am not really seeing the problem here. You want to ride on the road, follow the rules of the road.
“Bikers - people who ride motorcycles”
Bicycles were around first, so they get dibs on the term. There isn’t even a “bi” in “motorcyclist” anyway. Should be “mokers”.
he shoudl send a counter bill for $3,752.02
That's just gay talk.
The bill is from the insurance company trying to recoup what they paid to repair the motorists car. Sending the bill to him is essentially not paying the insurance coverage.
if you’re on the road, you should have insurance.
You’re close: In my earlier motorcycling days the big machines were just called “motors.” One of my even older friends ran whiskey with an Indian-—4 gallons at a time at 100 mph, he claimed, and his was a “motor” also. Mine have mostly been “rocket sleds.”
I had to go get him out of jail and help him get his bike back. Eventually, the DUI charge was dropped, but he still had to pay the ticket for running the red light.
This is Canada. They’ll just shut down his bank account and credit cards until he pays. Or maybe they’ll just debit (steal) from his account.
Yeah … but it’s $3,700 CANADIAN, so it’s not that much. /s
If you drive a motorcycle OR bicycle and you don’t prepare to stop at EVERY intersection you are dumb.
Cars just don’t see you.
You may be 100% in the right, and still end up as a splat on the road.
I’ve been riding for hundreds of years and I always ASSUME the other drivers are going to do something stupid
“If you think government is the problem, wait until you see their solutions.”
Example # 751.
the cyclist can and should sue the driver who caused the accident.. He did does not have to have insurance though Canada does have policies for those who use bikes.
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