Making a vehicle damage claim

“I was making a left turn at an intersection when someone flew through a yellow light and clipped the rear of my car. Thankfully I wasn’t hurt, but my SUV needed serious repairs. I thought I may have to sue the other driver to get compensation, but I was glad to find out my insurance would cover the repair costs.”

– Jaclyn, Vancouver, BC

Everyone who owns a motor vehicle in BC must have basic insurance from ICBC, called basic Autoplan. Your Autoplan insurance includes coverage for basic vehicle damage resulting from a motor vehicle accident. 

If the other driver is found to be responsible for the crash

Your basic insurance comes with up to $200,000 of vehicle damage coverage. It covers repairs to your vehicle when the other driver is found to be 100% responsible (“at fault”) for the accident. Instead of recouping the cost of the repairs from the insurance policy of the other driver, your own insurance will cover you. 

If your car isn’t driveable, your basic insurance will cover the cost of substitute transportation (like a rental car) until the repairs are finished. 

If you are found to be responsible for the crash

What if your vehicle is damaged in an accident and ICBC determines that you were 100% responsible? Here, if you have collision insurance, it will cover the cost of repairs to your vehicle. This is optional insurance coverage. If you don’t have collision insurance, you will generally be on the hook for the repairs. 

Under ICBC’s no fault insurance model, the other driver cannot sue you to recover the cost of repairs to their vehicle. Instead, the repairs will be covered under their own basic insurance policy. 

If you are found to be partially responsible for the crash

You may be found partially responsible for the accident. If you’re found, let’s say, 25% or 50% or 75% at fault, this means you share responsibility for the accident with the other driver. 

If you’re found partially responsible for a crash, your basic vehicle damage coverage will cover the non-responsible portion of your repair costs, up to $200,000. If you have optional collision coverage, it will pay for the portion you’re responsible for. If you don’t have collision coverage, you’ll have to pay for the portion you’re responsible for out of pocket.

Visit iCBC’s website to learn how they assess responsibility in a motor vehicle accident. 

In addition to your basic Autoplan insurance, you can buy other types of insurance for greater coverage. ICBC offers several optional insurance products.

Collision coverage

Even the best drivers make mistakes. Collision coverage helps pay for your vehicle repairs, towing, storage, and other costs, even if you were responsible for the crash. It covers you if you hit another vehicle, a person, or an object, including the ground or highway. It also extends to damage caused by another driver in a hit-and-run.

Visit ICBC’s website for more on optional collision insurance.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance covers you for non-collision damage to your vehicle. This includes loss or damage to your vehicle from:

• theft or vandalism

• fires or earthquakes

• falling or flying objects, like a rock hitting your windshield

See ICBC’s website for details on comprehensive coverage.

Hit and run

Maybe you’d rather not buy collision insurance, but you still want to be protected in case your car is damaged in a hit and run. Hit and run insurance covers up to $200,000 of repair costs when your vehicle is hit by an unidentified driver in BC. 

ICBC’s website has the details on hit and run coverage.

Sometimes, it doesn’t make financial sense to repair a vehicle after an accident. ICBC calls this a total loss (it’s also often referred to as a write-off). In this case, ICBC will pay you an amount based on the value of your car at the time of the crash. 

ICBC decides if it’s economical to repair your vehicle

When you report the accident to ICBC, an estimator will assess whether it’s economical to repair your car. To do this, they assess the damage and estimate what it would cost to repair. They estimate the value of the vehicle at the time of the accident, and consider its salvage value.

ICBC considers a vehicle to be unrepairable when the cost of the repairs would cost more than what the vehicle was worth at the time of the accident. That is, what your car would have sold for just before the crash. Visit ICBC’s website for more on this.

To start your claim with ICBC, report the accident by calling:

• 604-520-8222 in the lower mainland

• 1-800-910-4222 elsewhere in BC, Canada or the United States

ICBC’s phone line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also report your claim online.

Once you make a claim, ICBC will assign you a claims representative. They will get in touch with you to gather information about the incident. 

Once you start an ICBC claim, you will need to get a damage estimate. The estimate indicates how much it’s likely to cost to repair your vehicle. 

When you report the accident to ICBC, they will tell you where you can go to have the estimate done. It’ll either be at an ICBC repair network facility or at an ICBC claims centre. 

If you go to a repair network facility, they can give you an estimate and do the repairs at the same location. ICBC will tell you if you qualify for this service when you report your claim. 

Alternatively, the ICBC agent may make an appointment for you at the nearest ICBC claims centre. Here, an estimator will look at your car and fill out a form listing the repairs needed. Then you take your vehicle, with the estimator’s form, to the repair shop you choose. 

See ICBC’s website for more on getting a damage estimate.

If you disagree with an assessment or decision ICBC made on your claim, you have options. The first step is to raise the issue with your claims representative. Ask them to explain the factors taken into account in assessing your claim. This is your opportunity to point out anything you think they overlooked.

If you aren’t satisfied with their explanation, you can ask to speak to their manager. The manager will look at the details of your claim and may reverse the decision.

If dealing with your claims representative and their manager doesn’t resolve the issue, you can bring a formal dispute. There are a few ways to dispute ICBC’s decision.

If you disagree with ICBC’s assessment of your responsibility for the accident, you can ask for a secondary review. You can submit a request by emailing responsibility.review@icbc.com. Once they receive your request, ICBC will review their assessment and reach out to discuss it with you. They will also send you a detailed copy of their responsibility assessment in writing.

You must send your request within 90 days of receiving the notification of responsibility. See ICBC’s website for more details.

If you’re still unsatisfied with ICBC’s response, you may be able to bring your dispute to the Civil Resolution Tribunal. This is an online tribunal that is simpler and less expensive than going to court. The tribunal is independent of ICBC, and has the authority to assess responsibility in vehicle accidents. You can use the tribunal’s solution explorer to learn more.

If you disagree with ICBC’s valuation of your vehicle, you can apply for arbitration. Arbitration is a dispute resolution process where a neutral third party, called an arbitrator, hears arguments from both sides and makes a binding decision. See ICBC’s website for details. 

In limited circumstances, you may be able to dispute your claim in court. For example, if the accident falls within one of the exceptions that allows you to sue for damages. Or if the crash happened outside of BC. This can get complex, so it’s best to seek legal advice if you’re considering this option.