'It shattered our lives': Mission couple frustrated with ICBC's no-fault insurance policy following crash

A Mission couple is criticizing the Insurance Corporation of B.C.'s. no-fault insurance policy following a traumatic car crash.

On July 24, Jeff Romani was riding his motorcycle with his wife Nadia after a day spent berry-picking at a friend’s farm.

Romani was prepared to stop at a red light on Lougheed Highway at Laity Street when a driver appeared to run through the light and strike the couple head-on.

“We got hit, and then that's all I remember,” Nadia said. “I remember talking to the lady. She was helping me, and she said, ‘Don't move. Whatever you do, don't move.’ And then I asked if my husband was alive.”

'It shattered our lives'

Both Nadia and Jeff narrowly survived.

“It shattered our lives,” Jeff said.

The couple sustained numerous issues from the crash.

Jeff was in the intensive care unit at Royal Columbian Hospital for three days with fractures to his nasal bone and ribs. He said he needed eight blood transfusions and extensive surgeries.

“I somehow ended up on her hood, so you can see me, like, stuck on her hood (of the car),” he said. “Whereas Nadia was shot back with the bike wreckage and hit the back pickup truck and then went flying off to the median.”

'A pound away from exploding'

Nadia was in the ICU for nearly two weeks. Her injuries are comprehensive. She had almost every rib broken in her body and a collapsed lung.

“I guess from the impacts of the accident, my heart was about a pound away from exploding, so they had to go in and put a stent in one of the main arteries,” she said.

Nadia is now home, but is having to relearn how to walk.

She said ICBC is helping provide a care aide two hours per day, as well as a few hours of cleaning. She said the Crown corporation has approved up to $5,000 per month for these tasks, but added it’s not enough.

“I can't even get out of bed,” she said. “I need 24-hour attention.”

“It needs to be expressed how even getting out of bed in the morning, you have to pre-plan and plan yourself for the pain,” Jeff added.

He said he was told he would likely be back at work in the New Year, but isn’t sure that will happen depending on his recovery. Three months since the crash, Jeff said he recently began receiving income benefit cheques from ICBC, which cover up to 90 per cent of his income.

No-fault insurance policy

Nadia used to run a dog day care on the couple’s property, but has had to close it due to her injuries.

“I was up at 5:30 a.m. and going all day for the doggies, and now I can't see that I'd be able to do that in even a year from now,” she said.

The Romanis said they’re frustrated with ICBC’s no fault insurance policy.

“We pay insurance for a reason,” Jeff said. “For protection, in case something like this happens. And if it wasn't for our friends, family, and community coming together and starting a GoFundMe, we wouldn't have our home right now. We'd be in foreclosure.”

ICBC's response

In a statement to CTV News, ICBC said it was unable to provide information about the Romanis' case.

“While the provincial election campaign is underway, as a Crown corporation, we’re limited to providing only emergency, public safety or statutory information at this time,” the corporation said.

No-fault insurance at ICBC was introduced in May 2021 as a way to reduce rates, lower debt, limit legal costs and improve care for accident victims.

Drivers can receive benefits for medical care and rehabilitation expenses, income replacement covering 90 per cent of net wages and personal care assistance benefits.

Jeff Romani said he believes the system needs to change to prioritize the needs of those who require critical care.

“We've gone to the other extreme where the customers aren't getting what they deserve for serious injuries,” he said. “When it shatters your life, there needs to be change.”