Dear Editor:
I'm tired of hearing about the bonuses that are being given to executives at ICBC. While I am all in favour of people being rewarded for excellent service, it is my opinion that this is hardly the case, and this money would be better spent properly compensating people injured in accidents who desperately need it.
Yes, I am one of those people. I was injured in a horrific motor vehicle accident last year which nearly ended my life. I survived due to a commitment to proper safety gear and procedures, but I was struck on the head hard enough to break my neck, and I spent two weeks in a coma. I am fortunate that it was not longer.
My recovery is slow and even now, almost a year afterwards, it is hard to write this letter. (I am getting a friend to help edit it.) I don't expect to return to work anytime soon and I will probably never be able to do the work I did.
Unless the court case is resolved and I receive a judgment (which won't happen anytime soon) I have no other financial resources. I am receiving about 25 per cent of my wage from ICBC. This is considered the maximum allowance and has been for the last 20 years, yet it is far different from the 75 per cent of my wage I received from WCB, when I was previously injured on the job. Note that this previous injury was less serious and the impact on my finances far less serious. As both are operated by the provincial government, why is there such a large difference in compensation? Could you pay your mortgage or rent on 25 per cent of your income? I doubt it.
Pat Tillapaugh, Burnaby
