Vancouver Senior left in limbo After Hit-and-Run

A recent case in Vancouver shows the uncertainty injured people can face under no-fault auto insurance systems, highlighting serious flaws in how such a model deals with victims after serious crashes.

On July 11, 2025, 70-year-old Loreen English was struck by an SUV in a hit-and-run while crossing the street. The impact left her with multiple injuries, including a broken collarbone, fractured hip and pelvis, and a broken nose. As she recovered in hospital, English says the real struggle began: trying to get answers from ICBC, B.C.’s no-fault insurer.

Despite needing urgent information about mobility aids and home equipment before leaving hospital, English says ICBC couldn’t tell her what - if anything - would be covered. The only guidance she received was to “keep the receipts”, leaving her - a senior on a basic pension - uncertain about how she’d afford the essentials she needed to safely return home.

After being left in limbo for weeks, English says ICBC’s responsiveness only improved once her story was picked up by the media. While ICBC later confirmed her benefits would be covered, the case illustrates some of the many systemic issues with no-fault insurance:

• Victims can be left in limbo, unsure what care or equipment will be funded.

• Communication is often unclear and inconsistent, adding stress during an already traumatic time.

• Access to support can feel dependent on persistence or outside pressure, not on transparent rules.

No-fault insurance is often promoted as a simpler, more efficient system for crash victims. But cases like this highlight a different reality — one where injured people can struggle for basic information and reassurance about their recovery, with their future left uncertain.

THE BOTTOM LINE: no-fault auto insurance systems leaves crash victims like Loreen English waiting, worrying, and fighting for answers about the care they’ll receive. Without clear communication or guaranteed support, injured people are left in limbo and forced to fight for each scrap of coverage precisely when they need support the most.

Read the full story at Global News here: https://globalnews.ca/news/11304595/hit-and-run-icbc-concerns/