Changes Won’t Give Newfoundland No-Fault Insurance, Lawyer Group Agrees

A group of Newfoundland personal injury lawyers has agreed that changes to the automobile insurance rules in that province will not result in a de facto no-fault system.
The insurance industry is applauding the long overdue clarification by a coalition representing personal injury lawyers.
For the past several weeks, the coalition has been waging a forceful argument that proposed changes will result in a no-fault system of auto insurance in the province.
On Wednesday of this week, the coalition stated the proposed changes would amount to “one small step toward no fault.”
“It is high time coalition chairman Kevin Breen, take responsibility for promoting this misconception. Mr. Breen and the personal injury lawyers he represents should put as much effort into correcting the misinformation as they have creating it,” says Don Forgeron, vice-president, Atlantic Region, Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“The insurance industry agrees a no-fault auto insurance system is not suitable in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is particularly irrelevant given the outline in the government consultation paper issued in October,” says Forgeron.
The personal injury lawyer coalition has repeatedly distributed misinformation through media interviews, advertisements and speeches.
“There’s been a lot damage done over the past weeks, but fortunately, the vast majority of consumers we’ve spoken with understand, the government proposal will help contain the cost of insurance and ensure a fair and reasonable level of compensation for those injured in automobile accidents.
“Most consumers have already determined that the no-fault argument has no connection whatsoever to the government’s proposed auto insurance changes in this instance,” Forgeron says.