February 17, 2010

Hello,
It's been a while from the last update, just wanting to pass on some of the days happenings that are currently going on in the background, for Christopher's return home.

We are still waiting for, The Fraser Health Authority to give us approval that guarantees all of the funding to be in place prior to his return home. Once funding is in place, with a written agreement, we will have to find appropriate therapists and set up times for this new system to start properly, as well arrange with the pool at home for times so as not to miss any sessions. I have talk to the therapists there and they are looking forward to working with Chris again and with a more aggressive schedule.

I expect to hear from Fraser Health again at the end of this week as to the status of the plan, I am sure they are all in a state of confusion and scrambling to make it all work. This all so the Minister himself doesn’t look like a fellow who does not know the first thing about health care and to cover up the off the cuff comments he makes. Because someone will always be there to bail him out or to put a spin on it, to make it sound like he knows what it is he is talking about.

The Health Minister’s office and Ministry has caused all of this grief and unrest, mostly due to uneducated people making important decisions on other people’s lives.

We were successful in finding a house that looks like it will suit our needs in providing a rehab area and the living arrangements I have searched for, for so long. The only hold back is the ICBC lawyer who is determined to not forward any funds owing, so Christopher can receive the basics of what he deserves, a place to live and proper set up to do rehab to make his life easier and just plain liveable. Even though we will have to do that rehab and make our own way through this.

It is amazing that we buy insurance to protect ourselves from these horrific accidents from happening. But when we go to collect or expect the insurance company to pay, they put a fight up like everyone is stealing from them, do they just forget that is what insurance is for and we all pay for it, or are we all too complacent and accept the unacceptable. Maybe the government shouldn’t be in the insurance business if that is the case...

Let us not forget that we let these imbeciles make these rules and we let them pay enormous amounts of money to companies and corporations with the excuse that we have to get proper people to run these corporations for our own good. So not only are we being robbed blind by the government and the crown corporations, we get to pay indecent salaries and bonuses to these people to do it to us.

When the going gets tough the government closes the door and refuses to talk, or they hire high priced lawyers to cover their asses. As well let us not forget the spin doctors hired and paid for with our dollars to change or deflect attention from the stories that show the truth. When was the last time you could buy a Mercedes Benz at a discount price, oh wait we all didn’t get that chance because we did not work at the training center. These people who would deny funds to someone who by no fault of their own has had their lives taken from them and is in dire need of funds to ensure that life can go on. But somehow found it to be acceptable that they buy at a deep discount, cars that were written off wrongfully and paid for by the people of this Province who have no choice but to purchase insurance from this clown corporation. The purchase of Olympic tickets used by the same people who deny the basics to those in need. The question keeps coming to mind “what were they thinking” but a close look reveals just that, they don’t think they just waste.

To continue, rehab is the question and there is no negotiating anything that limits it. This is an absolute necessity for Christopher's ability to move forward and his enjoyment of life.

Mr Michael Ragona from the law firm of Alexander Holburn Beudin and Lang Barristers and Solicitors, who have been hired by ICBC to defend the driver in the court case, he has made a demand for terms in order to allow an advance of the money they already owe Christopher. Terms which we can never meet, or have the ability to do so. While all the while he is telling everyone that he's put the advance out for Christopher and he hasn’t taken it. I wonder if the driver was ever asked if he would be ok with Chris being given an advance with no strings attached if it were to help make his life better, I think not.

The point here is the money from the insurance policy is not enough to cover the costs of caring for Chris for more than a couple of years into the future. I think ICBC knows the policy limit will be paid out in full and is owed to Christopher.

But they seem to be led astray (or maybe this was the plan) by a lawyer who has no compassion or feelings for a human life in limbo Christopher in particular. There is no question about the policy and that it is owed, so I don’t know if by ruining not only Chris’ life and mine, he is shutting down a whole family and breaking emotional bonds that are pushed to the limit.

So we may end up with allot of people on stress leave or disability insurance or maybe forced into welfare coverage. Where does the cost to society end, and why does the ICBC management require and pay for services to someone who will end up costing the Province a ton of money in the end. We pay for insurance, we have no choice, we have no choice of the insurer so when this happens they should be front and center doing whatever is required to make things better being honest and settling up front like every British Columbian expects

This refusing to advance a small portion of what is owed from the policy provides nothing positive for any one unless ICBC collecting interest on unpaid money is more important than people’s lives.

Remember that we put the people in charge of ICBC into office and we can take it away. We can change the way the injured get the help they need. If we can stop the dishonesty and big money payouts to lawyers that ruin lives, then we can make life better for all those who are injured in our province. Maybe we could afford to build our own Brain Injury Rehab Center so we don’t have to ship our loved ones out of province for the help we cannot give them here in their own.

The Province has showed its inability to look after its own people, it has showed the health care system run by bureaucrats is dysfunctional and does not provide what the people need. Maybe they should get out of the insurance business completely and then let some of the medical professionals become a part of running a health system they work in and understand!

Talking to ICBC is really like talking to a wall. Cases like this are not rocket science and should be dealt with in a fair, quick and equitable manner taking into consideration the victim, and family and the damage that has been caused as well as all of the other people that this will affect.
Part 7 section has been another ball game, there does seem to be rules for both sides and they do talk and negotiate on issues, more so they have real down to earth people to talk to.

Based on the dealings I have had with ICBC over the last two years I would definitely say if you're in an accident of any kind and must deal with the insurance company get a lawyer. It will not cost you any more to have a lawyer, but you cannot afford to deal straight with them because they are so out of touch with reality.

The lawyer will collect more than you would on your own, his fees in general will be paid by ICBC by way of a bigger award. Maybe when everyone hires a lawyer, for even for the smallest of claims they will get the drift that being honest and trust worthy pays big savings.

ICBC and their management team could step in and take action to make things right, they choose not to.

I would tell anybody in this province if you have ICBC insurance claim, be prepared to fight them tooth and nail every step of the way I don't care if you got a fender bender or small scratch on your car, make sure that you get advice and protection, hire a lawyer to take action on your behalf, it is unbelievable and a daunting task to argue or fight with them and the government every step of the way it almost seems as if they're working hand-in-hand with the health ministry to cut off any kind of funding that we possibly can attain to carry on with Chris's rehab.

ICBC’s lawyer has made some ridiculous comments regarding Christopher and his therapy, the very therapy they are stopping from moving ahead. Here is a quote from him:

“That a Committee be appointed on behalf of Dr. Christopher Bigelow. Such a suggestion is not in any way to be understood as a criticism of the Guardian ad litem, Kevin Bigelow, but our client requires an assurance that the advance will be spent on medical assistance which will be of some benefit to Dr. Bigelow. Again, not meaning to be critical of Kevin Bigelow, from the materials we have at hand, it would appear that the medical assistance so far rendered to Dr. Bigelow has been a little or no assistance in his rehabilitation.” These are the same people who for over two years have refused to give an advance of the money owed to Christopher so we may take advantage of every rehab opportunity.

This is exactly what I talk about with the spin on things, here we have an Insurance company’s lawyer refusing to pay or provide help for over two years. Yet their lawyer can stand up and tell us “from the materials we have at hand, it would appear that the medical assistance so far rendered to Dr. Bigelow has been a little or no assistance in his rehabilitation.” Forgetting that they control the funds and availability of what therapy we can access. That is like telling a homeless person to quit sleeping outside or wondering why a person with no money isn’t eating at the finest restaurants. Like I said earlier so out of touch with reality it isn’t even funny, just scary!

Good bye till tomorrow,
Kevin