Soundstone Law

08/21/2023

Sometimes buying insurance just buys you the right to sue them.

The more you know!

06/16/2023

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/motocross-crash-benefits-supreme-court-1.6876107

Michael Beaudin was paralyzed in 2017 and has since been fighting for what his lawyer says could be up to $1 million in benefits. On Thursday, he's set to find out if the Supreme Court of Canada will allow Travelers Canada to make its case for not paying Beaudin.

05/21/2021

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/vancouver-news/run-over-on-a-sidewalk-north-shore-man-a-test-case-in-new-icbc-insurance-scheme-3795192

A man who was run over on a sidewalk on Vancouver's North Shore says he's finding cracks in the new 'no-fault' insurance program ICBC put into place May 1.

08/06/2020

Aviva is playing hardball, apparently. When these two elderly ladies in two separate cases are injured, Aviva cranks up the legal costs. One wins her case for about $20,000, and gets awarded legal costs worth more than 10 times as much as her damages, which the judge says is the consequences of Aviva "playing hardball".

The other falls outside a retirement home. Her damages were agreed to be $75,000. She loses her case, but the judge says, "Aviva with its approach is at risk of allegations of playing hardball." Consequently, he awards no costs to the company. Aviva has appealed - they want to extract costs. The injured lady is now 84 years old.

Aviva is based in London, pays a 7.99% dividend, and in 2019 made the equivalent net profits of approximately $4,500,000,000 in Canadian dollars.

https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2018/2018onsc368/2018onsc368.html

https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2019/2019onsc7498/2019onsc7498.html

                                                                                                 COURT FILE NO.: CV-11-423627

06/24/2020

For a while now, it has appeared as though the Alberta government has wanted to bring in No-Fault auto insurance. (Insurance companies from Ontario and Quebec make big profits off Albertans already, and no fault is just going to send more money their way.)
Maybe I was wrong? Hopefully? Premier Kenney made some statements in question period the other day, saying that we "will not bail out big insurance". Geez I hope he stands up for Albertans on this one and doesn't bring in No-Fault.

04/30/2020

Would a UCP government really bring in No Fault Insurance. Why? Wouldn't that just send more of profit to insurance companies (companies based in places Alberta already tends to send equalization...)? It doesn't save tax dollars. Or are they planning to socialize insurance? This isn't what I would expect from a UCP government.

Breadcrumb Trail LinksColumnistsOpinion: No-fault auto insurance means no accountability and no recourseAuthor of the article:Calgary HeraldPublishing date:9 hours ago • 3 minute readEdmonton Police Service officers investigate a fatal collision at 184 Street near Anthony Henday Drive in Edmonton ...

02/19/2020

No fault insurance is coming to Alberta! How do I know? You don't ask questions like this unless you already know the answer you want. Look at these "survey" questions:

10. In a situation where you were injured as a result of the actions of an at-fault driver, which would be more important to you? (select one.)

- The right to sue the at-fault driver for a cash settlement.

- Having coverage that provides immediate access to medical treatment and rehabilitation as well income replacement.

02/16/2020

https://fairalbertainjuryregulations.ca/new-report-leads-to-questions-about-auto-insurance-rate-changes/

As insurance premiums continue to spike for Alberta drivers, Fair Alberta Injury Regulations (FAIR Alberta) has released a new report that refutes key claims from the insurance industry, and calls into question some of the increased rates that Albertans are now paying. For several months, the insura...

02/16/2020

Good thing they raised insurance rates. Otherwise those poor insurance companies would be broke by now 🙄

02/12/2020

More ICBC. How to make sure injured people get screwed: pre-payments on settlements, but only if you DON'T get a lawyer.

OPINION: It is sobering to see the former head of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association discouraging accident victims from consulting a lawyer before entering into settlement talks with the deep-poc…

02/12/2020

ICBC takes things to a new level.

KAMLOOPS - Jessica Vliegenthart knows the challenges of navigating a bureaucratic organization to obtain benef...

11/25/2019

Your insurance premiums are going up. Maybe you've heard about this. It's been in the media quite a bit.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), which is basically a cartel, would like you to believe that insurance companies are losing money (but are they?) because claims have increased (but have they?). We're going to raise rates, they say, which will kill you politically, Mr. Premier, unless you cap payouts.

Cap payouts? Terrible solution. Look, imagine a hard working Albertan heading home from a construction job gets t-boned by somebody texting. He's sore, can't sleep, jaw hurts so much he can't eat, but he suffers through work to make sure his kids have a house to live in. He's paid loads in premiums over the years. Should there be a law that he cannot get fair compensation? (I mean, otherwise the person texting might have to pay higher premiums, right?😒)

Oh, by the way, check out how poor insurance companies are: Intact made (net!) 187 million dollars in one QUARTER. Aviva made 558 million! (Type in your insurance company in Google Finance see how poor THEY are.) Do they really need to raise premiums 30%? How about we go back to capping their premiums.

The reminds me of something mortgage lenders did back during the Lougheed years. They said they'd pull out of Alberta if the government didn't make them favourable (to them) mortgage legislation. Lougheed effectively gave them the finger and said go ahead, and ATB will be here giving out fair mortgages. Alberta won that one.

Is IBC's campaign working? Do Albertans believe them?
Do Albertans support insurance companies more than they support themselves?

We could sure use a leader who isn't afraid to stand up to wealthy bullies right now. I hope we have one.

A group of hundreds of Albertans ranging from lawyers to doctors to concerned citizens is raising concerns over auto insurance rate hikes.Fair Alberta formed as a counter-voice to the insurance ind…