If you have been injured in an accident in BC; your first step will be to see a general practitioner (GP). This person may be your family doctor, or the doctor on call at a walk-in clinic. After receiving an initial consultation and prognosis of your medical condition from the walk-in clinic doctor, you should ask them to help you find a GP who is currently accepting new patients.
If you have recently been injured, you will need to regularly see your GP so that they can document the start and progression of your injuries. Your ICBC claim for accident damages will likely be strengthened by your GP’s medical opinion. More importantly, you may have to visit your GP more than you feel you need to. This is necessary to accurately and closely document your symptoms and how they have progressed. Part of your post-accident recovery will depend on the extent of your pre-accident functionality. If you can do most of the things you were able to do before the accident, in theory, your functional impairment is relatively small. If you cannot do most of the things you could do before the accident, your functional impairment is comparatively large. Your lawyer can advise you about the different types of damages to which you may be entitled, regardless how much post-accident functionality you retain.
You may need to be referred/assessed by a specialist if you have acute medical issues. Under the BC Medical Plan, you can only see a specialist on the referral of your GP. This is why seeing a GP is the first step you must take in dealing with your injuries. You should do this even if you believe that the accident was small, and your injuries relatively minor. Moreover, even if you do not involve ICBC in your accident, for your own benefit, you should see a GP after an accident to ascertain any possible health issues. The specialists to whom you may be referred could include psychiatrists, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists and physical medicine and rehabilitation experts.
Under the regulations of the Insured Vehicles Act[1], ICBC has the right to send you for a medical examination. You are thus required to see a specialist, although you may dispute which specialist you actually see. Again, your lawyer can help you navigate the maze of medical specialists and the effects their medical opinions could potentially have on your overall ability to receive compensation for your injuries.
Mike Coric is a personal injury lawyer who has represented victims of motor vehicle accidents throughout British Columbia for over 15 years. Mike has appeared at every level of Court in British Columbia and conducted trials before a judge and a jury. He acts only for plaintiffs and restricts his practice to BC car accidents and other personal injury circumstances. If you or someone you know has been injured and would like to speak with a lawyer, please call Mike at 604-736-3333.
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[1]RSBC, 1996, c-231
