Vehicle Accidents in the USA
We act for BC residents who have been injured in car accidents in the United States
Richard Parsons is licensed to practise law in British Columbia, Washington State and California. Richard can act for BC residents injured in car accidents in the USA. It is very important for BC residents who are injured in car accidents in the United States to hire a law firm that can act for them both in the United States and in British Columbia. This is the case because most jurisdictions in the United States allow motorists to carry extremely low insurance liability policies, and BC residents have coverage from ICBC to protect them if the person who injures them does not have enough insurance. In order to deal with cross-border claims, injured BC residents need a lawyer who understands the interaction between US and Canadian law and can pursue their case for them in the United States and then pursue any coverage shortfall against ICBC in British Columbia.
The UMP Scheme for BC
Every person in BC holding a driver’s licence, or an owner’s certificate for a vehicle, or who lives in the household of a person who holds a driver’s licence or owner’s certificate for a vehicle, is entitled to $1 million dollars in underinsured motorist protection (“UMP”). The $1 million UMP limit can be increased to $5 million for $40 per year with ICBC. Many people have more than $1 million of UMP available to them.
UMP is significant for BC residents injured in the United States. In the US, many States have very low insurance coverage requirements. For example, in California a driver can insure a car and drive it with a policy that provides for only $15,000 of compensation for each person the driver injures in an accident up to a maximum of $30,000. In Washington State the minimum limit is $25,000 up to a maximum of $50,000.
All BC residents should purchase excess UMP to protect themselves and their family members. For $40 per year (less than $4 per month) they and their families are protected if they are injured by a motorist with insufficient insurance. This can be done at any time through an Autoplan broker or when renewing a driver’s licence or vehicle owner’s certificate.
How your US case is managed
Your case is managed from our office in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the initial phases, we work from Vancouver and deal with your case in the jurisdiction where you were injured. If there is a shortfall in insurance, we then deal with your UMP claim against ICBC in British Columbia through arbitration proceedings.