Disputes with ICBC (12:VI)

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This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by the Law Students' Legal Advice Program on August 12, 2020.



NOTE: The following portion of this chapter is meant to serve as a basic primer covering some of the key principles of the new ICBC system, which applies to claims for accidents occurring on or after May 1, 2021. Given that this no-fault system is new as of May 1, 2021, there are still certain portions of it that are being clarified, or that may adapt with implementation.

If you have an issue with the outcome of your claim or with how it was decided, there are processes available to dispute your claim. Different procedures apply to different types of claim disputes. The following outlines the remedies for some common types of disputes that may arise with ICBC. This section should be used with caution, as at the time of writing certain parts of the ICBC dispute process (minor injury disputes, and liability and damages disputes) were under review at the BC Court of Appeal.

A. Minor Injury Determination Disputes

If your injury is classified as a minor injury, this places a cap on the amount on non-pecuniary damages that you can access (IVA, s 103(2)). Minor injury has a specific legal meaning, and is defined in s 101(1) of the IVA as: “a physical or mental injury, whether or not chronic, that

(a) subject to subsection (2), does not result in a serious impairment or a permanent serious disfigurement of the claimant, and

(b) is one of the following:

(i) an abrasion, a contusion, a laceration, a sprain or a strain;

(ii) a pain syndrome;

(iii) a psychological or psychiatric condition;

(iv) a prescribed injury or an injury in a prescribed type or class of injury;”

Minor injury classifications may be disputed either internally, by speaking with your claim representative and their manager, or by making an application to the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) to adjudicate on the matter. Note that ICBC does not make further information publicly available about the process or deadlines for disputing a determination internally.

The CRT is an independent administrative tribunal, authorized by the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act to adjudicate on minor injury determination, among other matters. The CRT process does not involve legal representation, and use of the CRT to resolve these disputes is meant to cut legal costs for all parties, although certain parties who require assistance can apply to have a helper or advocate to assist them in the tribunal process. For more details on the CRT, see Chapter 20 of the LSLAP Manual on the CRT and its procedures: https://www.lslap.bc.ca/manual.html

Note: As of March 2021, the BC Supreme Court has deemed the CRT’s authority to adjudicate on minor injury determinations as being unconstitutional (Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia v British Columbia (Attorney General), 2021 BCSC 348 (CanLII)). This is currently being appealed to the BC Court of Appeal. While this case is being decided, parties can choose to bring their minor injury determination disputes to either the CRT, or to have them adjudicated through the court system. It is unclear when this case will be decided, or how the outcome will affect the forum for these disputes going forward.

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