“Ditch the broker. Your Toronto car insurance broker is not the all-knowing insurance guru you’ve worked him up to be. You may be surprised to find out that brokers are actually very limited in their wheeling and dealing abilities. ”
News and Views
Make mediation optional: FAIR
Ontario’s dispute resolution system has inflexible rules and a structure that leads to unfair treatment of accident victims, says a victims’ group.
Make mediation optional – FAIR Thompson’s Daily Insurance News Service November 12, 2013
What does the public think about the lack of transparency at CPSO? Read this!
Survivors of car crashes look at the medical profession in a whole different way after finding out it is a free for all abuse system that the college is ignoring.
FAIR response to the CPSO Draft Transparency Principles Consultation
This lack of transparency about complaints is putting even more vulnerable accident victims at risk because they cannot protect themselves when the IME vendor is perpetually ‘cleansed’ by the lack of information available. The College has facilitated unacceptable behaviour by way of keeping secrets from the public – consistently telling the public that there are no disciplinary actions taken against a physician by conveniently classifying the College actions as remedial and confidential.
FAIR response to CPSO Draft Transparency Principles November 11 13
Ontario Trial Lawyers Association speak out about CPSO transparency
OTLA feels that the overriding concern in establishing and applying these Transparency Principles must, first and foremost, be the protection of the public and disclosure of information, not the protection of the physician’s privacy.
OTLA-Submission-CPSO-Transparency-Principles-Nov-8-2013
http://policyconsult.cpso.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Transparency-Principles.pdf
Interim Report of the Ontario Automobile Insurance Dispute Resolution System Review
From bad to worse, expert reports without cross examination – how does this promote justice?
“For an expedited in-person hearing, the parties would submit supporting documentation, including affidavits and expert reports. Although testimony and cross-examination could take place within set time parameters, the use of expert witnesses would not be permitted. Expedited hearing would take no longer than half a day.”
http://williehandler.blogspot.ca/2013/11/interim-report-of-ontario-automobile.html
CPSO – have your say on Draft Transparency Principles
http://policyconsult.cpso.on.ca/?page_id=2420#comment-2970 comments close Nov 11
Public expectation about access to information about all public agencies has changed dramatically, particularly as a result of exponential increases in internet use. Tell the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario whether you think keeping secrets about doctors is the right thing to do. Transparency Principles http://policyconsult.cpso.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Transparency-Principles.pdf
Ontario Automobile Insurance Dispute Resolution System Review – Request for Submissions
In August 2013, Ontario’s Minister of Finance Charles Sousa announced the appointment of the Honourable J. Douglas Cunningham, former Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, to conduct a review of Ontario’s automobile insurance dispute resolution system.
After receiving stakeholder submissions and consulting with stakeholders in September 2013, Mr. Cunningham delivered an interim report to the Minister of Finance on October 31, 2013, which outlined preliminary recommendations as well as a framework for possible legislation towards a new auto insurance dispute resolution system.
Written submissions regarding the (NEW) interim report can be sent on or before December 2, 2013, either by e-mail to autoinsurance@ontario.ca or by Canada Post. Stakeholder consultations on the interim report will be held in December 2013 in preparation for the final report, expected to be delivered by February 2014.
Catastrophic Injury Roundtable Summary
NEW November 6, 2013 Stakeholder Roundtable on Catastrophic Impairment Roundtable Proceedings – Final – Nov6
Read the report from the Minister of Finance regarding the CAT round table in March 2013. Stakeholder Roundtable on Catastrophic Impairment Summary of Proceedings July 2013
Reaction to the July 2013 report:
FAIR response to Stakeholder Roundtable on Catastrophic Impairment September 5 2013 http://www.omegamedical.ca/thoughts-on-the-recent-fsco-roundtable/ Ontario Rehab Alliance Response to Round Table Summary September 2013
Reducing Fraud with Transparency
On February 19, March 11, and March 19, 2013 FAIR wrote open letters to Ontario’s Colleges and our Government about reducing the fraud in Ontario’s auto accident insurance by way of holding medico-legal ‘experts’ who perform independent medical examinations IMEs accountable. We did not get any response from these stakeholders and so we wrote the September 16, 2013 letter and the responses FAIR has received are listed below. For further information see our Media Releases page.
AIAC Oct 3-13 response to FAIR Open Letter dated September 16 2013
FAIR response to AIAC Oct 3 letter – sent October 22 2013
The Canadian Centre of Excellence in Injury Law response to Three Strikes