: ICBC Claims : Nelson, BC : Castlegar BC

Terry L. Napora

Terry Napora has twenty years experience as a trial lawyer representing mainly individuals, societies and small businesses. The main emphasis of his practice is personal injury, insurance claims and employment law. He has extensive experience in dealing with insurance companies, especially the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).

Terry Napora is on the Board of Governors of the Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, and is a member of the Kootenay Bar Association, and the Law Society of British Columbia. He in active in the community, having sat on the Boards of various non-profit organizations including the Kootenay School of the Arts, the Nelson branch of the Boys and Girls Club and the West Kootenay Family and Child Care Services Society. He is currently active in the local Rotary Club, was appointed as a Commissioner for the Nelson and District Recreation Commission, and is a Board of Director for the West Kootenay Brain Injury Association.

What You Can Expect as Our Client

As a client of our firm you can expect regular communications and every effort to be made to resolve your matter in a positive and timely fashion.
We strive to let you know what is happening by regular communications whether in person, by telephone or e-mail and sending copies of all correspondence and documents. We will handle your legal matter in a cost effective and professional manner ensuring that you are fully informed of all options and a well thought out plan of action is crafted and implemented. We attempt to resolve all cases by settlement where possible, but if necessary we will provide strong representation in Court.

Good results take time to achieve. Insurance companies often tell injured people that if they hire a lawyer the claim will take longer. Insurance company statistics show that the longer a claim is open the more the insurance company ends up paying. Even after legal fees, a client often obtains a much greater amount with a lawyer than without a lawyer.

Delays also occur because of rules of procedures and delay inherent to court operations. We strive to move matters along as quickly as possible and try to provide accurate time estimates and explain the factors involved in the timing of a law suit.

Our main office is located at 608 Baker Street, Nelson, British Columbia, on the entire second floor. Our second office is located at 233 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar. We are pleased to meet our clients in our office boardroom or one of our meeting rooms. Our offices are equipped to accommodate mediations, discoveries, meetings and all party conferences. We thank you for visiting our website, and look forward to helping you.

When dealing with an adjuster, one should always keep in mind that his obligation is to his employer, the insurance company, and not to you. The adjuster only wants to act in your interest or help you out on a case if it helps out the insurance company. He wants to determine the nature and extent of your loss as quickly as possible, pay out as little as you will agree to, and close the file. That is his job.

It is useful to consult with a lawyer before meeting with the adjuster. If yours is the type of case where a lawyer is not necessary or where you wish to deal with an adjuster before meeting with a lawyer, the lawyer can give you useful information and the best way to explain the case and what information is not relevant or required.

We offer an initial consultation where we discuss whether not a client should meet with the adjuster, and if they are going to meet, we provide the client with suggestions on how to present their case.
Skilled Legal Help for Your Claim

ICBC and other insurance companies start gathering information to use against you immediately after your accident. Let us put our skill, experience, and inside knowledge to work for you. Please call us at 250-352-3321, or toll free at 1-800-579-5338, to speak to Terry Napora. We look forward to helping you.

Getting Ready for the First Visit

ICBC will want you to come in and make a claim. You will want to do that as soon as you are able. If you are seriously injured, they will send someone to the hospital or your home. You do have an obligation to provide a statement as to what happened and fill out the “prescribed” forms. There’s four things to prepare for.

1 - How the Collision happened

ICBC needs to know how the collision happened as if someone else is not at fault for the collision, then what ICBC has to pay you for is very limited. If it was a single care collision, and the driver did nothing wrong (ie an animal jumped on the road out of nowhere) then the benefits paid are very limited. In such cases, it’s possible.

2 - How the injuries you siffered in the Collision effected you

Be able to describe the injuries you siffered, the treatment you are receiving or that’s recommended, and the impact on your family life and work.

3 - Medical and Employment Information

You will need to provide the adjuster with the name of the doctor you saw after the collision as well as your family doctor. If possible, you should have their address and phone number on hand. You will also be asked for information on your employment including the name and address of your employer, your rate of pay and the hours you work. If you are off work, it is useful to provide information on the amount you earned on a weekly basis for the 52 weeks immediately prior to the date of the collision. The adjuster is entitled to know any other benefits you may have that you can claim against such as medical benefits through your employment.

4 - The Benefits you are entitled to

You are entitled to benefits for medical and rehabilitation expenses, wage loss, and homemaking expenses.

There are situations where you may be required to use other benefits you have available first such as banked sick time or from a benefit package available through your employer. Some benefits ICBC is obliged to pay as you go. Other benefits get paid at the time the whole claim is settled.