how care first could impact albertans: weir bowen

Alberta is on the verge of a massive shift in how auto insurance works — and the consequences for injured Albertans could be devastating. In a recent article, respected personal injury law firm Weir Bowen LLP breaks down exactly what’s at stake under the UCP’s proposed Care First no-fault insurance model.

Under the current system, if you’re injured in a crash that wasn’t your fault, you have the right to sue the at-fault driverto recover what you’ve lost — whether it’s income, future earnings, pain and suffering, or ongoing care. Care First would take that right away. Instead, you'd be handed a one-size-fits-all benefits package, regardless of who caused the crash or how badly you were hurt.

Even worse, Care First caps compensation for serious and catastrophic injuries — meaning people with life-altering impairments will no longer have access to full and fair restitution. Those with non-catastrophic but still serious injuries could find themselves under-supported, with no legal path to fight for what they actually need to rebuild their lives.

And let’s not forget: the entire system will be administered by private, for-profit insurance companies—not a public agency. That means the people deciding what care you receive have a direct financial incentive to say “no.” Delays, denials, and cost-cutting aren’t just possible — they’re likely.

There’s also a cost shift happening in the background. When insurers limit care or close claims early, the burden falls on Alberta’s already strained public healthcare system, forcing taxpayers to pick up the slack. And for high-income earners? The new system caps income replacement, leaving many dramatically underinsured unless they pay extra for private top-ups.

THE BOTTOM LINE: while Care First is being sold as a way to cut costs and speed up claims, it does so by gutting your rights, undermining accountability, and putting profit over people. As Weir Bowen warns, the trade-offs are serious—and Albertans deserve to know exactly what they’re giving up before this system is pushed through.

Read the full article from Weir Bowen LLP here: https://weirbowen.com/news/how-proposed-no-fault-insurance-changes-could-impact-albertans/