Insurance stories: Readers sound off
Last week, after publishing some of the reasons auto insurance in Ontario costs so much, we asked for comments and nearly100 of you weighed in online.
One theme emerged: auto insurance is terrific until you need what you’ve been paying for; until you make a claim. That’s when you run into problems.
As well, people wrote about how fraud is rampant in the GTA and why something isn’t being done about it?
And other people wrote about how they are fed up with the no-fault system.
Toronto Star Wheels intends to continue researching and reporting stories on how the insurance industry treats its customers but, in the meantime, here is a sampling of some of the comments received:
John wrote: “Insurance companies pay out cash for sore necks in place of investigating the alleged injured driver. Thirty years of design and study and engineering of safety systems in automobiles apparently has done nothing to reduce or mitigate soft tissue injury from low- speed, rear-impact collisions. Or is the lure of easy money from insurance companies who will pay too hard to pass up?”
Devil’s Trumpet wrote: “Independent medical examiners . . . are paid by the insurance company . . . and to continue that arrangement they will supply the insurer with medical reports (that favour them). It is absolutely contemptuous that adjusters who have no medical knowledge are allowed to deny benefits to claimants for medical needs. Insurance companies are for-profit firms but they should not be allowed to generate revenue by bullying legitimate claimants.”
UpNorth wrote: “Accident victims are regularly abused by their insurers’ hired-gun assessors at a time when they most need help. The system is a scam to get our premiums without ever having to pay out. All we hear about is fraud and yet half of accident victims have to take their insurer to court because they are being defrauded out of the benefits they were promised.”
Randy P. wrote: “When I was adjusting in Edmonton, we met with lawyers about “no fault’ coming to Ontario. At that time, they said it would be a mess. Guess they were spot on. Get rid of it. Hit the people with claim history and bad driving records. Leave the rest of us alone.”
Avatar22 wrote: “People who don’t work in this industry haven’t the slightest clue. That story about the guy who “nudged” the lady with the lawyer husband? That’s not an exceptional case. These types of situations are a dime a dozen.
“Whiplash cases routinely settle for $100,000 and sometimes in the $250,000plus range. We’re talking about low-speed collisions, no broken bones, no visible injury whatsoever. And that’s just on the tort side.
“On the “no-fault” benefits side, the insurers often pay out over $100,000. So the insurers take it on the chin twice, once in paying first party benefits to their insureds and again when they pay for third party settlements on behalf of at-fault (or even not-at-fault) insureds.
“Fraud is beyond common. It’s basically endemic, particularly in the GTA. Regular people never get it until they experience the system first-hand.”
Lou writes: “The Insurance Bureau of Canada suggests there is a great deal of staged auto accidents.
I have repeatedly requested our elected officials to call a public inquiry. I have written to the former attorney general of Ontario, Michael Bryant, and his reply letter stated: “We will not be calling a public inquiry into the Auto Insurance Industry at this time.” This was years ago.
“Now the time has come to call a public inquiry and hear the horrors. Let’s open Pandora’s Box and see what comes of this.” wheels@thestar.ca