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ARTICLE · 16 FEBRUARY 2015

Underinsured Defendants

Miller Thomson
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The story of Edmonton bicyclist Rylan Kafara has caught the attention of many Albertans this week.

CanadaInsurance
Cynthia Carels
Cynthia Carels
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The story of Edmonton bicyclist Rylan Kafara has caught the attention of many Albertans this week. Kafara has been handed a $6,200.00 bill for damages he allegedly caused to an SUV in 2013, while riding his bike. Although Kafara was injured in the accident, the SUV's insurance company contends that he is responsible for damage to their insured's vehicle.

Unlike most drivers of motorized vehicles, bicycle riders may not think they need to carry liability insurance. However, the possibility of negligently causing damage to someone else (by hurting them and/or their property) when riding a bike is still very real. The same holds for skateboarding, skiing, rollerblading, etc. In such cases, homeowner/ tenant insurance may provide defendants with personal liability coverage, if they have added that to their policy.

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