Personal Injury Law: Insurance changes a catastrophic ambush

As part of the provincial budget announced on April 23, the Ontario government has decided to first throw seriously injured accident victims off the bus and then deprive them of the ability to make a good recovery. The announcement comes as a total blindside to interested stakeholders.

Historically, whenever the Ontario government was considering major changes to automobile insurance legislation, there was widespread consultation with stakeholders. That consultation process consistently revealed it was common ground among all stakeholders that it was sacrosanct to reduce the benefits available to the most seriously injured persons. As a result, prior changes focused on changes other than reductions in the benefits available to the catastrophically impaired.

The government’s announcement includes five major changes. Each change reduces the funding available to accident victims. Each change reduces the chance for an accident victim to regain their independence. Each change results in further pressure on the currently underresourced public health care system.

Source/ more: http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201505044652/commentary/insurance-changes-a-catastrophic-ambush

Ontario may need to spend more to fix faulty social assistance program

TORONTO -- Ontario's minister of community and social services can't say whether the government will have to shell out more money to fix a support payment system that has already cost the province an additional $29 million.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ontario-may-need-to-spend-more-to-fix-faulty-social-assistance-program-1.2353911

J.D. Power Reports: Auto Insurers Continue to Miss the Mark to Improve the Customer Experience in Canada

While auto insurers have been able to improve customer satisfaction with price, they continue to miss the mark in interactions around claims and other service experiences, resulting in a decline in overall satisfaction for a third consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power 2015 Canadian Auto Insurance Satisfaction StudySM released today.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/

Income Security Operations proceeding in your absence

According to recent emails from Income Security Operations (General Division)
Social Security Tribunal of Canada: 


"Can you please send the Tribunal your updated mailing address?  We have attempted to mail you documents but they have been returned to our office as moved."
  
A previous email from them:

"Please include your full name (or full name of represented party) and appeal number (see Tribunal Number) on any future correspondence with the Tribunal. It is your responsibility to inform the Tribunal of any change in your contact information without delay. Failure to do so may have a detrimental impact on the appeal, as the Tribunal may be unable to reach you or send you any correspondence. Furthermore, the Tribunal may proceed in your absence. Please retain a copy of any information you send to the Tribunal."
 
Is this how they are going to get rid of the 14500+ appeal backlog by "proceeding in your absence"?

Anyone who has an appeal at the Income Security Operations (General Division) Social Security Tribunal of Canada might want to think about getting in touch with them to verify their address.



Surviving a Collision
http://survivingacollision.blogspot.ca/

Auto Insurance: The Hidden Costs of the Provincial Budget

Last month, the Ontario Liberal government revealed its latest budget entitled “Building Ontario Up” but what it does to our auto insurance benefits is actually the opposite by significantly slashing benefits available to accident victims.

http://otlablog.com/hidden-costs-of-the-provincial-budget/

Ontario auto insurance changes slash benefits to seriously injured, critics say

Critics say the Ontario Liberal government's proposed auto insurance changes mean people suffering debilitating injuries from car accidents are going to suffer even more.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-auto-insurance-changes-slash-benefits-to-seriously-injured-critics-say-1.3065708

Crash victims slam auto insurance rule changes

In the blink of an eye and the twist in a road 11 years ago, the lives of two young sisters changed for ever.
Shannon and Erica Deering were teenagers looking ahead to full and active lives.
Shannon, now 29, had won a scholarship to play softball in Florida. Erica, now 26, was still in high school but had hopes of becoming a lawyer.
All that changed in a horrific crash when both sisters suffered dreadful spinal injuries that left them quadriplegic.



http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/07/crash-victims-slam-auto-insurance-rule-changes

Auto Accident Benefit Cuts: Lobbying Update, Action and Resources - Please circulate!

From the Ontario Rehab Alliance:

Subject: Auto Accident Benefit Cuts: Lobbying Update, Action and Resources - Please circulate!
Importance: High

Dear Members,

The Budget (Bill 91) has passed second reading. Most likely it will soon be referred to committee – but the plan is likely to pass it before the house rises in June. Auto insurance changes are a relatively small aspect of this broad bill so it remains unlikely that we can effectively block passage with a majority government in place, though we’ll try our best. Our focus is very much on influencing the regulations to mitigate the harm to the seriously and catastrophically injured.

The ORA Board is currently working with a collection of other associations on various fronts to these ends, but we also need your help!

1.      Petition – the petition we shared with you the other day is gaining momentum. If you haven’t yet done so please sign and distribute to colleagues, clients, and friends:
https://www.change.org/p/ontario-mpps-finance-minister-charles-sousa-stop-reducing-ontario-accident-benefits
2.      Rally – the rally planned for next Tuesday, May 12 is being rescheduled to better improve the chance of making an impact with a well- organized and well attended event. This has the support and involvement of OTLA, a number of law firms as well as the ORA and FAIR. Likely other associations will get involved as well. We will keep you posted on the date and details but it will most likely take place in the first days of June.
3.      MPP & Government Outreach – the ORA and OTLA are jointly organizing a multi-stakeholder strategy session for next week. The goal is to develop common messaging and collectively contact and meet with as many MPPS and decision-makers as possible in the short time available. We have invited representatives of the professional associations, and groups such as OBIA and Spinal Cord Injury.
4.      Please continue your own outreach to MPPs –politicians respond to constituents with greater alacrity than they may do to organizations.  Thanks to those of you who have and have written to tell us. It would be super helpful if you could please also/instead complete this survey so that we have all the info in one place - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T278MDC
5.      MPP Contact and Issue Info – We’ve revised our home page to reflect the importance of this issue to the public. Follow this link to find the backgrounder we shared with you a week or so ago – the red link at the top takes you to MPP contact info. http://ontariorehaballiance.com/page/insurancechanges
6.      Key Messages -  Auto insurance changes in the 2015 Budget catastrophically injure the injured. Ontarian’s will not be properly protected by insurance if they are injured. The proposed changes help insurers’ profits by shifting responsibility to unpaid family caregivers and the public purse. Our challenged health and social services are unable to absorb this impact.
7.      Outline & Analysis of the Proposed Changes  - This article provides an excellent summary of the proposed changes and the impact: http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201505044652/commentary/insurance-changes-a-catastrophic-ambush
8.      Next Steps

·        Once the regulations have been posted we will analyze, consult, comment and refine our messaging

·        We will share these insights and messages with you to incorporate into your efforts

·        We will continue to keep you posted on the rally and other actions as they evolve

Please distribute this email widely!! All hands are needed on deck!

Laurie Davis, Executive Director

lauriedavis@ontariorehaballiance.com

Office:      705 745 1546

Mobile:    705 957 4733

www.ontariorehaballiance.com

51 Sophia Street, Peterborough

K9H 1C9, ON

Economical Insurance reports Q1 net income of $34.2 million, 2% increase in gross written premiums

Economical Insurance, a property and casualty insurance company in Waterloo, Ont., reported a combined ratio of 105.7% for Q1 2015, compared to the 105.5% reported in the same quarter a year ago, but also consolidated net income of $34.2 million for Q1 2015 compared to $1.0 million during the same period a year ago.

http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/news/economical-insurance-reports-large-increase-in-net-income-for-q1-2015-up-to-34-2-million-from-1-0/1003607730/s7vw03Wsv64srM2vx/?ref=enews_CU&utm_source=CU&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CU-EN05062015

Reviewing the changes (cuts) to Ontario Car Insurance: Pay More Get Less Yet Again

The governing Liberals announced Ontario’s budget on April 23, 2015. Finance Minister Charles Sousa, backed by Premier Kathleen Wynne were in fine form that day. When one thinks of the term “budget“, we would think of all things financial, including taxes, public spending on healthcare, infrastructure, and education. And to be fair, healthcare, infrastructure and education were all addressed in the 2015 budget.

http://www.torontoinjurylawyerblog.com/2015/05/reviewing-the-changes-cuts-to-ontario-car-insurance-pay-more-get-less-yet-again.html