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WINNING YOUR B.C. INJURY CLAIM: How to successfully navigate the ICBC minefield
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Hiring a Lawyer: Avoid the pitfalls.
- Will I risk receiving less help from ICBC early on if I hire a lawyer?
This depends upon your specific case. If you are seriously injured and are dealing with Head Office Claims or ICBC's Rehabilitation Department, ICBC will likely treat you the same way, whether you have a lawyer or not. If you are dealing with a local claim centre, it is possible that ICBC will not pay you money in the short term over and above what it owes you under your Accident Benefits if you hire a lawyer. From ICBC's perspective, the longer the adjuster can deter you from hiring a lawyer, the more control it has over you and your claim and the more chance it will find weaknesses in your claim.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't obtain initial legal advice, which is usually free. It just means that you and your lawyer need to decide if it's in your best interests to advise ICBC that you have retained a lawyer. It may be better for you to wait until you decide that you won't suffer financially in the short term before you agree that your lawyer contact ICBC on your behalf.
