ICBC claim for ice, collision or comprehensive?
 

The side street roundabouts are icy right now with no salt/sand, and my GF ended up sliding and smacking a curb. Looks like she popped the control arm back 1" out of its bushings and bent the tie rod. Hopefully nothing else yet the engine is running rough so she might have cracked a motor mount.

ICBC initially wants to treat it as a collision claim, which I think is not right. It should be comprehensive, especially since this city doesn't salt/sand any of the side roads.

She has ~13 years driving clean, so even if it's a collision she drops to 8 on the CRS and keeps her max discount, so she's going through ICBC and hoping she gets another 13 years without an accident - yet I'd rather she keep her 13 on the CRS if its possible to claim this as comprehensive.

Has anyone had any luck getting ICBC to treat this as a comprehensive claim due to road conditions?

- theft, vandalism and malicious mischief
- “missiles” and falling or flying objects such as a rock or gravel hitting your windshield
- hitting a domestic or wild animal
- weather—lightning, windstorm, hail, rising water and fire
- earthquake
- civil commotion or riots
- the stranding, sinking, burning, derailment, upset or collision of a conveyance transporting your vehicle on land or water

ICBC | Comprehensive coverage

I don't think your situation applies to any of the above. The curb is not moving, so ICBC will rule that your gf has collided with a stationary object.

what city was she in, i bet its a long shot but talk to the city see if they will do anything.

I haven't looked up her insurance, yet I think she might have private insurance for comprehensive and collision. Hopefully the private insurers have different rules.

In Ontario black ice is considered a comprehensive claim as long as you had good tires and were driving reasonably. I was hoping ICBC had a similar clause.

Black Ice would probably be different from snow and ice that's visible. If you can see the snow and ice - the insurance company might just rule that you were driving too fast for the conditions.
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If she's keeping her max discount still so what? She can drive for 13 years with a clean record then it shouldn't be a problem for the next 13..

Cause shit happens, and if something else happens in the near term she drops 6 on the CRS. It'd be nice to save that for something terribly bad, as this is hopefully ~$500 to fix.

Does she have winter tires ? If it is only $500 I would pay it, save those CRS steps for something more serious( not that you plan for that )

I agree, save it for when it counts.

I think a shop could fix it in a day, yet to go via ICBC will take several days as the tow it out to Coq then evaluate it. ICBC pays for rental coverage, yet if she choses to pay off the claim I assume she'd have to pay this back too... which means > $500.

I know someone that was recently in an accident, they did not have to go to icbc at all, they just had it brought directly to an icbc accredited shop. So the rules on that may have changed recently. Accidents always suck, just good when no one is injured.

even though my accident was caused due to icy weather conditions, and it was no where in my power to know or control the situation, ICBC still claimed it 100% my fault because i was the only vehicle involved in the collision

Rightfully so. You were the driver of the vehicle and lost control. Icy weather conditions is not an excuse. There is no way collisions like this including the scenario described by the OP should be treated as comprehensive.

if you are driving a vehicle and hit a curb, pole, pothole, go though a deep puddle and flood ur engine, it's considered collision. the only time you can claim comprehensive while driving is when you hit an animal.

That's not True...you could be driving and a Riot could suddenly break out :D

if shes at a level 13 discount she is at a 43%(max) discount and will move 4 spots to level 9 which is still a 43%(max) discount and is still in the same discount 'group'. if she were to get in another accident at level 9, she would move 4 spots again. you only move 6 spots at once if you are a level 3 or worse.

ICBC is moving away from doing adjustments at ICBC centers to doing adjustments at accredited valet shops.

so you crashed your car due to your own admitted lack of ability to control your vehicle in the situation. and you feel that ICBC was wrong in saying it was your fault? these collision/comprehensive situations are black and white, ICBC doesnt make up the rules as they go to screw you.

Even then, you need to physically hit the animal. If you swerve and end up in the ditch, ICBC will just assume you screwed up.

IMO single car collision is 99% at fault.
More so if winter tires/4wd wasnt equipped.
My mom knows her limits of driving and doesnt drive in snow.
Some people simply lack the equipment/experience/skill to drive in the winter and should not be driving during snowed days.

That's why you make sure the deer/moose/bird goes through your windshield to your backseat for evidence.

:ilied:

If you're girlfriend has private insurance then she doesn't claim the accident with ICBC. The private insurance takes care of it all. That is the reason why she is keeping her CRS discount with ICBC.

With private insurers, if she has a claim whether it be collision or comprehensive(except for windshield claims), Her rates with them will go up(with my experience atleast). When that is the case then you can just got back all in with ICBC as her discount has not affected her.

Not the case here, some times shit happens.

She's from Ontario and used to far worse snow, been living here over a decade and used to no salt/sand. Just unfortunate that she hit a bit of ice that she didn't expect, at least now she knows to steer into the curb so you hop the curb, rather than away and risk slamming the car to an abrupt stop.

Doesn't this show lack of experience/skills?

Life's a bitch, play the cards you're dealt. ICBC won't cover it, no use arguing it.

i dont think so. i wouldnt have thought of driving on top of it, instead of trying to get away from it :S im sure a lot of people wouldve tried to get away since its their natural reaction to avoid the curb.

unless it was an suv and there was nothing else in the way :D

after post #15 this thread should have been closed, that answers all your questions, and even sheds light on what you need to do now

Start a poll, I'm willing to bet instinct will have most try to steer out and forget to bail at the last minute and hop the curb. Its not like they teach how to crash in driving school - except in Richmond.