[Updated on March 2, 2021]
By Lauryn Kerr, CRT Legal Counsel
Bill 11 – 2020: Attorney General Statutes (Vehicle Insurance) Amendment Act, 2020 was introduced this spring. It contains significant changes to how motor vehicle insurance works in British Columbia. These changes include moving to a “care-based” model of accident compensation, where people are compensated for their injuries according to amounts and categories set by regulation and policy. In most cases, a person will not be able to sue the person responsible for the accident for damages.
Bill 11 received Royal Assent on Friday, August 14, 2020. This means that it is now a law. Many of the provisions are not in force yet, and will be brought into force later by regulation. The change to a care-based model will take effect on May 1, 2021.
Since April 1, 2019 the CRT has had exclusive jurisdiction over accident benefit claims. This means that the CRT is the only place that can determine your entitlement to accident benefits, if you have a dispute with the insurer. Bill 11 greatly expands the amounts and types of accident benefits that are provided under basic automobile insurance.
What is the CRT doing to prepare for the change to a care-based insurance model?
The care-based insurance model will only apply to accidents which happen on or after May 1, 2021. The CRT will be working hard over the next eight months to implement this expanded jurisdiction.
We will be reviewing our processes and making changes to our procedures, and ensuring that we have the required number of staff and tribunal members who are trained and well-prepared to handle these new disputes.
We will provide regular updates on our progress.