The leader of the Opposition in Newfoundland and Labrador has sworn to repeal any minor injury cap the current Liberal administration might implement if the Tories form the next government.
“I am serving due notice that if I get the opportunity to form a government, a PC government, and there’s going to be a general election next year, I’m going to repeal whatever interference with people’s rights the Ball Liberal government performs,” PC Leader Ches Crosbie said in a recent statement.
Crosbie argued that there should be no reason to alter the right to compensation.
“Those rights have been established by the courts considering everybody’s individual circumstances and the needs of society. Leave it alone,” the official said to people gathered for an event organized by the organization Seniors Against Insurance Cap.
His statements come as NL’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) wraps up its independent review of the province’s auto insurance system. The review looked into the rising claims costs of both private passenger vehicles and taxi operators in NL, and sought to address the issue.
As part of the review, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) proposed a number of reforms to curb mounting claims costs, the most notable of which is the introduction of a $5,000 compensation cap on minor injuries.
Although the PUB will not make a specific recommendation regarding the implementation of a minor injury cap, the board will present the findings of its report to the NL government this fall, The Western Star reported.
Not all NL citizens are looking forward to the passage of an insurance cap.
“Many seniors no longer drive, yet they could become the victim of a car accident, either as a pedestrian or passenger,” explained Robert Rogers, chair of Seniors Against Insurance Cap. “A cap on insurance claims would have detrimental impacts on these innocent victims, leaving them vulnerable financially and with no ability to challenge the outcome of a settlement. As well, many seniors that still drive a car are not in favour of an imposed cap on accident claims that would limit the ability to receive fair compensation.”
