Automobile accident benefit changes press conference 016

When journalist and year round cyclist Kyle Brown was struck by a truck and dragged under it for 150 metres, he was left with a multitude of injuries: a broken pelvis, broken legs, a pneumothorax, and a bruised lung. Since his accident a year ago, he’s incurred somewhere between $30-35,000 in medical and rehabilitation expenses.

“Obviously if this bill were in place right now, I’d be stranded in the middle of my rehab program,” said Brown, referring to the Financial Commission Services of Ontario’s recommendation to reduce the cap for medical and rehabilitation benefits for non-catastrophic claims to $25,000. “The notion that I or people in worse shape would be cut off at $25,000 leaves me astonished.”

While Brown admitted at Thursday’s press conference at Toronto City Hall that $25,000 will be enough coverage for some people, he said a legislated cap for all accident victims ignores the medical and rehabilitation needs of thousands of people. “People should be given treatment that is reasonable and necessary – not cheap and expedient,” said Brown. “Treatment should be determined by medical practitioners and not a crude bottom line.”

Ten years ago, Adele Tiam Fook was involved in a serious automobile accident that left her with a broken back, broken pelvis, broken ribs and femur. Although she can’t fathom what $25,000 would have done for her back then, she guessed it would have bought her 3 to 6 months of therapy.

“When you’re involved in a car accident, your life changes instantly,” said Tiam Fook. “If an accident victim then needs to worry about funding for necessary therapies, that is not acceptable.”

On November 10, 2004, Lee-Anne Beam was involved in a four vehicle collision on the Burlington Skyway that killed her mother and left Beam with a permanent brain injury, a flailed chest, broken ribs, collapsed lung, kidney contusions, liver lacerations, and a shattered and tilted pelvis. Initially considered non-catastrophic, her injuries provided her with $100,000 in rehabilitation services.

“This could be your experience,” said Beam, who endured months of physiotherapy, ongoing occupational therapy to re-learn to care for herself and continuous speech and language therapy to be able to communicate with family and friends.

A neuro psychologist helped her deal with the grief associated with the loss of her mother, the serious injuries she suffered in the crash, her new disabilities and all the other changes brought about in her life. She also had other costs associated with the accident: massage and chiropractic therapy, medications ($350 a month), transportation, equipment purchases and related assessments.

Beam wracked up $80,000 in medical expenses in less than a year. Anything less, she said, would have denied her an opportunity to once again live an independent life. “Without the money to fund specialized rehabilitation and medical care, your hopes, aspirations and relationships are gone,” she said.

Changes to auto insurance benefits affect everyone: passengers, cyclists, drivers and pedestrians.

In 2004 while walking home, Jean Fisher was struck from behind by a car. At Sunnybrook Hospital, she received intensive and critical care before being transferred to the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, where she spent a month recuperating from her injuries. As a brain injury survivor, Jean Fisher suffers from memory and organizational deficits, a diminished sense of taste and smell, learning and information retention loss, depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue.

Despite having two other insurers, Fisher’s auto insurer covered $80,000 of her expenses over a four year period. “I was fortunate having multiple insurance coverage,” she said. “And there are also the personal expenses that an insurance company won’t cover.” Fisher’s received numerous therapies to help her cope with her disabilities, allowing her to regain an independent life.

“Without this coverage, I wouldn’t be here today to present my views,” said Fisher at a press conference Thursday in Nathan Phillips Square. “Most likely, I’d be a thin recluse living a very disorganized life without any purpose.”

John Bonnar

John Bonnar is an independent journalist producing print, photo, video and audio stories about social justice issues in and around Toronto.