we so, A U T G0 M OT I Y €E St - Erittay. s February 23, 1990). North Shore News Common car insurance questions answered ICBC’S PUBLIC Enquiries Department often answers questions stemming from two concerns: a dispute about responsibility for an accident, and how ‘‘total loss’ While responsibility for an accident can be “split” in ratios such as 50/50 or 75/ 25, in more than 93 per cent of accidents the responsibili- ty falls solely on one driver. While the majority of drivers accept this fact, they may require additional informa- tion of another opinion than the adjuster’s. This is the tole of Public Enquiries. A Customer Relations Of- ficer from PE will discuss your claim with you and Guide examines U.S. car purchases AS THE Free Trade Agree- ment becomes reality, more and more Canadians are looking to the U.S. market for used vehicles. Responding to a need for consumer information on this topic, the B.C. Automobile Association (BCAA) has released a new CAA publication, Private Importation of Used Vehi- cles into Canada from the United States. The handy, pocket-sized, buyer’s guide steers Cana- dians through the obstacles and pitfalls of purchasing a car south of the border. Relaxed age restrictions now make it possible to import more recent model used vehicles from the U.S. — but the process is not Straightforward or without risk for the Canadian buyer. Ownership records and lien disclosures are different and the challenge of not paying an inflated price fora bucket-of-bolts is no less a problem than buying in Canada. Transporting the vehicle back to the border must be considered, together with getting clearance through U.S. and Canadian customs, In the past, only vehicles 15 years old or older could qualify for importation. With the Canada/U.S. Eree Trade Agreement, this has changed. In 1990, eight year old cars may be imported, and by 1993, age restrictions will be removed completely. At the same time, customs duty payable on used cars from the U.S. is being pro- gressively reduced and will be totally eliminated in 1998. To qualify, vehicles im- ported from the United States must have a com- pliance fabel showing that the vehicle was originally manufactured to federal standards. At this time, to ensure compliance with Canada Safety Standards, a con- sumer must apply a bilingual sticker adjacent to the fuet filter identifying ‘‘lead free only’ and a kilometre-per- hour conversion sticker on the speedometer dial. These stickers are provided with the CAA booklet. The booklet and stickers, in the form of a kit, can be purchased at any BCAA of- fice for $2.95 or by mailing a cheque for this amount to: The Canadian Automobile Association, 1775 Court- wood Crescent, Otlawa, On- tario K2V 312. * vehicle evaluations are decided. provide the rationale for the decision. Most of the time the adjuster’s original deci- sion is correct, but there are exceptions, In such cases the officer will point out internal appeal avenues such as the Claims Review Process ($20 refundable fee) or the Dis- count Review Committee, both of which will review files within ICBC. This does not preclude a customer from secking legal recourse, but experience * ABS Brakes * Sspeed * AM/FM Cassette Auto Topic Andy Neimers INSURANCE CORPORATION OF BRITISH COLLAGRA shows that the internal pro- cesses are usually able to provide the explanation or information that the cus- tomer needs to be satisfied with a liability decision. In total toss vehicle evaluations, the majority of © West Coast Mirrors « Sport Steering Wheei cx, Se 810995 Notthshore> Bmazpa| claimants find the adjusters evaluation of a fair market value for the vehicle: to be acceptable. But there are those who find themselves in special circumstances. For instance, there is the owner who has spent $2,500 refurbishing a vehicle with a market value of $2,000. Un- derstandably, the owner feels that the vehicle is worth $4,500 — the amount he has invested in the car. The point to be made is that the insurance coverage premium that the owner paid is based on market value, so claims settlements must also then be made at market value. FROM STARTING § While a new transmission, or new paint job ete., will increase the value of a vehi- cle, it does not increase it to the total amount expended by the owner. In such citses the owner who has improved the vehicle's condition can only expect to be paid a premium market value. These examples show where Public Enquiries may be able fo assist. a policy holder, but there are other circumstances where PE is simply unable to become in- volved. An example is where # claims case has been decided by a law court but the claimant feels he has HOURS: MONDAY-THURS. 9 wa 9 P.M. FRIDAY & SAT. 9 A.M.-6 P.M. SUNDAY 12- 711 WEST 14TH STREET NORTH VANCOUVER 5 P.M. D.L. #7847 been undercompensated. After a court award deci- sion the mutter is closed and cannot be reopened. Another example is a re- quest to evaluate a bodily in- jury claim. This is a matter of personal responsibility of the claimant and in many cases an amount can be es- tablished by a quick Wip toa law library. While ICBC's Public En- quiries Department is limited in some areas, it does pro- vide valuable information and aptions for customers who feel they are caught up in circumstances they do not clearly understand. 18,400 2 ‘987-4458!