What is the role of the ICBC Fairness Officer?
On Behalf of Porter Ramsay LLP | Jul, 12, 2021 | Personal Injury Law
Recently, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia added a Fairness Officer to its team as part of its consumer protections. Individuals who have issues with their auto insurance, such as resolutions to payouts following an accident, may wonder whether writing to the Fairness Officer is a good idea. Here is some information about the scope of the Fairness Officer’s role that may be of interest to insured individuals in British Columbia.
The credentials of the Fairness Officer
The current Fairness Officer for ICBC is a former lawyer who began working for ICBC starting in 1982. He later served as an investigator for the Officer of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Office of the Ombudsperson. His appointment began July 12 and is in effect for three years.
The Fairness Officer’s main responsibility
The Fairness Officer’s job is to review customer complaints and make recommendations to improve processes and policies for ICBC customers. The appointment of a Fairness Officer comes on the heels of ICBC implementing its new enhanced care coverage, which makes fault less of a critical element in insurance resolutions. Some recent ICBC changes have been controversial, and the Fairness Officer role may be one response to these challenges.
Should someone reach out to the Fairness Officer if they have an issue with ICBC?
The Fairness Officer is one tool for consumers to help impact systemic change at ICBC. This can be a great benefit; however, individuals who have individual legal issues or concerns may need to seek a more targeted pathway to resolution. In these cases, speaking with a personal injury lawyer can be an important first step.