'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.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING N.B. Liberals will form majority government; Holt to become province's first female premier
CTV News is projecting the New Brunswick Liberals will form a majority government in the province, returning to power for the first time since 2018. Leader Susan Holt will become the first female premier of the province.
Major Toronto hospital network reinstates masking requirement
The University Health Network is making masks mandatory as respiratory illness season ramps up.
Investigation ongoing into death of 19-year-old Walmart employee in Halifax
The investigation into the sudden death of a 19-year-old Walmart employee over the weekend is ongoing in Halifax.
2 plead guilty to B.C. murder of former Air India suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik
Two men charged in the killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a British Columbia court.
Former B.C. premier Christy Clark wants to be 'part of the conversation' on Liberal party future
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces growing pressure to step aside, former B.C. premier Christy Clark says she is open to 'returning to politics' should the position of Liberal leader become available.
Death toll from B.C. atmospheric river climbs as driver found dead, another presumed drowned
Mounties on Vancouver Island say one person is dead and another is presumed to have drowned after two vehicles were found submerged in a river following heavy rains that washed out roadways across British Columbia.
Are you a Canadian stuck in Cuba without power? We want to hear from you
Daily life in Cuba has been largely affected since an outage led to a nationwide blackout in the country, followed by Tropical Storm Oscar hitting the country's east coast. If you're a Canadian stuck in Cuba through this ordeal, CTV News wants to hear from you.
Alleged assassination target calls expelled Indian high commissioner 'less of a diplomat and more of a hypocrite'
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun — a dual Canada-United States citizen and the target of an alleged assassination attempt in New York City last year — says the expelled Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, is 'less of a diplomat, and more of a hypocrite.'
Teen in custody after 5 found dead in shooting at home in Washington state, police say
Law enforcement officials found five people killed in a shooting inside a home southeast of Seattle on Monday morning and took a teenager into custody, police said.