Motorists who appeal Manitoba Public Insurance decisions about compensation for injuries sustained in automobile accidents will be able to appeal to a mediator starting this summer. This announcement was made by Attorney General Andrew Swan, minister responsible for Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), and Family Services and Consumer Affairs Minister Gord Mackintosh.
“We understand that assisting people to recover from auto injuries is a critically important responsibility,” said Swan. “We’re hopeful that mediation will prove to be another readily accessible feature of Manitoba’s public auto insurance system.”
Evelyn Bernstein, who has extensive background in mediation and is the former ombudsman of the University of Manitoba, will head the Automobile Injury Mediation Office pilot project. Mediations will be conducted by independent, qualified mediators.
Currently, injured Manitobans are entitled to benefits within MPI’s Personal Injury Protection Plan (PIPP). If there’s an issue involving coverage, the injured person can request MPI to conduct an internal review. If the review doesn’t satisfy the injured person, an appeal can be launched with the Automobile Injury Compensation Appeals Commission (AICAC).
“The goal of this mediation is to reduce the time between filing an appeal to the commission and the hearing to deal with the dispute,” said Macintosh. “This will make it easier for the motorist to help resolve the dispute.”
The mediation pilot project will operate over a two-year period, over which time data will be collected to ensure the government has objective evidence to use when determining the future of mediation for PIPP claimants, said Swan.
