Let’s make ICBC work

Dear Editor: Well, here we go again. Insurance rates too high? Let’s cut benefits. And let’s blame injury victims.

The human loss of a stranger deserves a quick write-off as just too difficult to quantify. It goes beyond medical doctors and may require chiropractors, physiotherapists, accountants, etc. Heavens, it may involve conflicting views and lawyers.

A series of recent letters to the editor direct wrath at lawyers for daring to seek compensation that fairly reflects actual losses.

A retired doctor would readily blame the patient for failure to recover after the usual prescription of “take two pills and call me in the morning.”

To defence doctors, it is a simple problem of malingering under more fanciful defence medical terms, such as somaticization or hypochondriasis — a speech that well-paid defence doctors have given, on many occasions, to the roaring applause of hard-nosed insurance adjusters, especially ICBC.

In fairness, medical training focuses upon an optimistic healing process. This is good for treatment, but disastrous for any realistic assessment of future risk of a continuing or latent traumatic dysfunction. It’s much easier to prescribe a ‘cure-all pill’ rather than long hours in getting to the base of the problem.

Strangely, the accelerated depreciation loss for expensive machinery is more easily quantified and payable. In monetary terms, the economic value of throw-away items attracts greater concern than human loss.

Want a quick fix? Go to ‘no fault’ insurance. As retired Dr. Allen recommends (Whiplash can be a lucrative business, The Daily Courier, Aug. 2), this involves the quick and easy ‘meat chart assessment,’ regardless of fault.

Never mind that impaired or careless drivers often receive more compensation than the victims.

In his words; “The meat counter approach, with so much paid for a broken limb and more for a lost eye etc. would cost society much less, with savings going towards a comprehensive care model.”

Unfortunately, this statement shows a surprising lack of empathy for human suffering, loss or impairment. It is also glosses over the true health cost issues that intertwine with motor-vehicle injury loss.

The fact is that our society suffers whenever we short-change MVA victims. Our society is forced to pick up any shortfall in ICBC compensation to the injured.

Let’s put aside professional jealousy over income variance between good lawyers and bad doctors. Let’s stop adding insult to injury.

Let’s make ICBC work. It is a well-structured system, but it is poorly managed and operates as a continual cash-cow fund for government. Ian Royce Sisett Kelowna