The British Columbia provincial government recently announced its intention to legislate a no-fault style insurance regime.
The stated purpose of the legislation is to reduce motor vehicle claims by largely removing injured motorists’ ability to sue other motorists. Compensation would instead be provided through automatic and increased benefits provided by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia directly to the injured motorist.
The ultimate implications of the proposed legislation are as yet unknown and we do have some grave misgivings regarding their impact on British Columbians in general. However, the legislation might result in a significant reduction in the risks faced by the road maintenance industry and therefore this is an issue we will be monitoring carefully and reporting on regularly.
If the legislation is passed the new system is expected to come into force on May 1, 2021.
A detailed analysis will be provided shortly based upon the draft legislation which has just been made public. In the mean time, please feel free to reach out to any one of our road maintenance specialists.