Quesnel woman loses leg, ICBC says not catastrophic

“I thought it would be a catastrophic injury, I mean, what more could happen to somebody? They (ICBC) say this is non-catastrophic, so you get less care options, you get less payouts, you get less of everything, and you have to fight like no tomorrow to get anything,” Sutton said.

“It was $76,000. That’s what my leg is worth to them,” she added, discussing her permanent impairment compensation.

ICBC Issues Management and Media Relations Advisor Tanya Beja called Sutton’s injuries “serious, devastating, and traumatic,” but explained that catastrophic injuries are defined as “paraplegia, quadriplegia, and severe brain injuries, among others.” She added compensation is outlined by regulations set by the provincial government, so ICBC is bound by those regulations.

“We want to support her as fully as possible with all the benefits she is eligible for as she recovers. And that’s regardless of how her injuries are defined. So to date, we’ve provided her with more than $660,000 in funding for benefits, things like medical and rehabilitation support, income replacement support, medical equipment, some modifications to her home, permanent impairment compensation and other benefits to ensure that she can recover, as fully as possible,” Beja said.

“You only get paid out for three broken ribs, even though I’ve had 18 breaks within my ribs. Nothing is healed properly, I have troubles breathing, I only breathe from the top part (of my chest). They’re not going to give me any more money for that,” Sutton said, further explaining her issues with how ICBC has handled her case.

Sutton says her challenges extended beyond finances, adding it took her nine months to get wheelchair approval, and when she was getting fitted for a prosthetic leg she says it took 11 legs until she got the right one. She says this has severely stunted her ability to get used to walking on a prosthetic leg, as she didn’t have the opportunity to get accustomed to a leg once it was put on.

“Now my body is totally out of whack. Now I got really bad back problems. I’m coming up here real quick on a knee surgery because they have to replace my knee because I’ve over exerted everything,” Sutton said.

Beja says ICBC wants to acknowledge those frustrations and that ICBC apologizes for that, and she notes ICBC is trying to improve its model and the way it supports customers, especially because it is a fairly new model.

“One of the changes we’ve made over the past year or so is that we’ve become the primary payer for things like medical prosthetics, so we’re getting more familiar with all of that and certainly want to improve the way we show up for customers,” Beja said.

Sutton’s story has led to Prince George – North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare to introduce a private member’s bill to make it easier for people like Sutton to access supports. Among other changes, Clare says one of the bill’s big focuses is classifying the loss of a limb as “catastrophic.”

“I think most people can accept that that is a catastrophic injury and requires your insurance to compensate you for this. The insurance is supposed to insure and do what it can to make a person whole,” Clare said.

“When you pay insurance, you’re expecting to be put back into a position where you’re able to get by and function despite the loss of that limb. And when you’ve got someone who’s lost a leg at the hip or loss of a complete arm, and you’re having to compensate the rest of your body in that regard, that’s a significant catastrophic injury,” Clare continued.

As far as any ICBC changes would go, Beja notes that those changes aren’t directly controlled by ICBC, but she says the organization would like to be part of those conversations moving forward.

“What we can pay, the types of injuries we can pay for, we’re bound by those regulations. Whether those regulations need to change, that’s a matter of public policy discussion, and we’re certainly happy to be part of that conversation and look at any improvements that can be made,” Beja said.

Where does this leave Sutton? She says the future is uncertain, but it’s taken an immense physical and mental toll, as she notes she drives from Quesnel to Prince George three times a week for treatment at the University Hospital of Northern BC. As for Clare, he says he has had discussions with both Conservative Party and NDP members of government, and hopes his bill will pass.

“I think it would be a difficult one for them to say no to,” Clare said.

by Tommy Osborne

Quesnel woman loses leg, ICBC says not catastrophic

What's Trending