New Auto Insurance Dispute Resolution Process Debuts

On April 1, all disputes regarding accident benefits began wending their way to the Licensing Appeals Tribunal.

There is considerable anxiety over how the new system will work. It promises a speedy resolution of disputes, but it remains to be seen if it can deliver on its goal to resolve matters in a six-month time frame.

Maia Bent, president of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, identifies her biggest concern as the loss of the choice to proceed through the courts.

"Removing the right to sue for accident benefits is very troubling. Accident benefit disputes are often incorporated into existing tort claims, which is an efficient and cost-effective way of resolving these issues," she says.