You need to know how the ICBC claims process works if your vehicle has been in a collision
and you need to make an auto insurance claim.
Though you do your best to drive carefully and responsibly, if you are involved in an auto accident, take comfort in how very fortunate we are here in British Columbia. We have access to auto insurance companies dedicated to making the auto collision repairs as hassle free for you as possible.
At Maximum Collision Carstar in Abbotsford and White Rock, we are dedicated to making your auto body repairs as hassle free for you as possible. As an ICBC Accredited Collision Repair and Valet Service we have both official accreditation and a great relationship with ICBC direct!
What this means for you is that we can offer direct-to-insurance billing.
We liaise directly with ICBC (or any other insurance provider) and remove that hassle from your already stressful collision experience!
As part of this commitment to exceed the highest standards for auto repair service and equipment plus qualified staff, professional workmanship, and customer care, Maximum Collision has outlined exactly how to the ICBC claims process works.
If you choose to make a claim on your insurance, an insurance adjuster will be assigned to your claim.
The adjuster gathers as much information as possible about the crash and reviews the insurance claim details, considering the rules of the road as outlined in the Motor Vehicle Act. They may consult other resources and/or use investigation tools.
The ICBC insurance adjuster will also determine responsibility (also called fault or liability) for the crash and keep you updated on the claim.
An estimator examines the damage to your vehicle, then writes up an estimate for the auto body services needed and the repair costs.
As an accredited ICBC c.a.r. shop VALET and Glass Express facility, at both our Maximum Collision locations we are able to offer you in-house auto damage estimates.
Bonus: We can even arrange towing for your vehicle to our facilities for auto body repair estimates! For most auto insurance claims, we can provide vehicle or auto glass repair estimates in our shop, and you can avoid going to a claim centre.
Note: If your estimator finds that it is not economical to repair your vehicle, it may be deemed a write-off. You’ll receive a settlement amount from ICBC for the vehicle’s market value.
If repairing your vehicle has been approved by the estimator, you can get your vehicle fixed at the auto body repair shop of your choice.
Note: You are not obligated to get your vehicle repaired at an auto body shop recommended by ICBC or your private auto insurance. However, using an ICBC-accredited auto body repair facility such our Abbotsford Maximum Collision or our White Rock Maximum Collision means that your repairs will be guaranteed for as long as you own your vehicle.
ICBC pays most auto body repair shops directly for the estimated repair work. When the repairs are done, you may have to pay a deductible to the shop. A deductible is the amount you have to pay towards repairs before your insurance covers the rest.
(This is an abbreviated guide to the official ICBC Claims Process, as outlined on the ICBC Claims website. You can view the full process here.)
See also, our page on When Not to File A Claim for Auto Insurance.