Vancouver driver suffers cross-border personal injury in crash

Many Vancouver residents make frequent trips into the United States for various reasons, often forgetting the fact that they are travelling into another country with different laws and insurance providers. Only when they are involved in an accident, do they realize how complicated cross-border personal injury cases can be. While the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia provides benefits regardless of who was at fault, will it cover accidents that happen south of the border?

An example of such a case involves an elderly British Columbia couple who were involved in a fatal crash while travelling in the United States. An accident report indicates that the 82-year-old driver encountered dense fog on a recent Saturday morning. During an attempt to pass a slower vehicle, his SUV crashed head-on into an oncoming truck that was pulling a horse trailer.

Sadly, the 81-year-old woman in the passenger seat did not survive the crash. The driver was airlifted to a medical facility where he was admitted in critical condition. Reportedly, the truck driver suffered only minor injuries.

The critically injured British Columbia driver may now find himself in dire circumstances. He is hospitalized in another country, his wife is dead, and there will be mounting medical bills and the costs of getting himself and the remains of his wife back to Vancouver. No one needs to deal with such trauma and challenges without the support and guidance of a lawyer who focuses on cross-border personal injury cases. A lawyer who is registered on both sides of the border will be familiar with the laws of both jurisdictions.