In order to offer an expedited appeals process, Manitoba Public Insurance will soon be establishing an independent Claim Dispute Tribunal (CDT), Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced today.
CDT will bring faster resolution of both physical damage claim issues (IE: written off vehicles and coverage issues) and liability disputes for customers. It’s expected the CDT ─ which consists of independent, government appointed adjudicators, who make final and binding decisions ─ will be fully operating by late 2020. Bodily injury appeals will not be impacted or handled by the CDT.
“The CDT aligns with our government’s continued efforts to reduce red tape for all Manitobans,” said Wharton. “CDT was an item highlighted in our government’s 100-Day Action Plan and will move forward as promised. CDT is specifically intended to create a straightforward, one-step, impartial process that will ensure swift resolution of claims for the insured and ultimately result in a reduction of court proceedings.
“This reduction will be beneficial for the courts, freeing up court resources, in addition to being less adversarial for MPI customers.”
MPI staff will advise claimants when an MPI decision is eligible for review by the CDT, and the Corporation’s website will publish in detail both the application and appeal process for CDT. In most cases, adjudicators’ decisions will be rendered within 90 days. MPI handles approximately 200,000 physical damage claims each year, with the vast majority of them resolved to the satisfaction of both MPI and the customer. Based on the current volume of these disputes, it is anticipated that the CDT could potentially review an estimated 700 applications per year.
“At MPI, we strive to treat all customers with respect and pay the right claims to fairly compensate customers,” said MPI President and CEO Ben Graham. “Some claims can be very complicated and disputes may occasionally arise. The Tribunal will create a faster and more efficient option for customers to appeal a fault (liability) finding in a claim, settle disagreements over repairs or total loss payouts.”
