CRASH SURVIVOR NOW “FIGHTING THE SYSTEM” FOR RECOVERY CARE

In yet another troubling case out of British Columbia, the real-world consequences of no-fault auto insurance are on full display — and it’s a warning Alberta cannot afford to ignore.

When 30-year-old AJ Sico was struck by an SUV driving into the crowd during Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Day festival, he was left with catastrophic injuries: a traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures, and nerve damage that rendered him nonverbal and wheelchair-bound. Adding to the trauma, his cousin, 27-year-old Jendhel May Sico, was killed in the same attack.

As AJ began to recover, his family quickly encountered another battle: navigating the healthcare system — and ICBC’s involvement in his care. According to AJ’s partner, Vanessa Hill, they were met with confusion at every turn. In their words, “you’re set to fight for your life — and then have to fight the system again to get any help in recovering”  .

Hill described the process as overwhelming and opaque: “Everything has been hard. Nothing has been easy, nothing has been straightforward. Everywhere, we’re confused,” she told Global News. While ICBC and Vancouver Coastal Health indicated support — including moving AJ to long-term care and ensuring ongoing therapy — his family continues to face significant uncertainty about what rehabilitation and care he will receive moving forward.

THE BOTTOM LINE: for injured victims like AJ, the hardest part isn’t just surviving the crash — it’s battling a system that isn’t set up to support their recovery. Even with severe injuries and clear need, recovery remains tangled in red tape. Alberta’s proposed Care First no-fault model carries similar risks: decoupling care from need and forcing injured Albertans into additional fights — for their rights, their compensation, and their paths forward - with insurance companies who profit by limiting care, denying treatment, and leaving victims to hold the bag.

Read the full story at Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/11405492/lapu-lapu-attack-victim-fight-system-recovery-family/