Our aim is to treat our customers fairly and consistently and we make every effort to explain the rationale behind our decisions. However, it’s your right to ask for a review of our decision if you disagree with it.
Occasionally, disputes about compensation for personal injury claims arise. If you can’t resolve a dispute with your case manager, the next step is to ask the Internal Review Office to review the decision.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you can appeal to the independent Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission.
You could also seek assistance from the Claimant Adviser Office in preparing your appeal.
See more information on these options below, or talk to your case manager.
MPI internal review
If you choose to appeal our decision, our Internal Review Office, which is completely independent of the Claims department, conducts your review. You must ask for the review within 60 days of receiving your case manager’s decision.
You can download the Application for Review of Injury Claim Decision form or obtain the form from your case manager. If you have any questions about your application or the internal review process itself, you can speak with a member of the Internal Review Office by calling 204-985-8000 in Winnipeg or toll free outside Winnipeg at 1-800-493-9993, or email [email protected].
On the form, describe the decision you want to have reviewed and the reasons why you believe it’s wrong. You can include documents, such as a doctor’s report, to support your position. If you don’t have the documents to attach to the form, list the documents that you’ll be sending later.
The review officer won’t start the review until your documents have been received.
If you’d like to meet with the review officer to explain your situation, check the box marked “hearing” on the Application for Review form. The Internal Review Office will contact you to set up a meeting. You can bring someone with you to this meeting or ask someone to represent you at it. You can also arrange a time to talk to the review officer on the telephone.
Whether or not you choose to speak to the review officer, he or she will thoroughly examine your file. The review officer can also conduct an investigation to get more information.
The review officer can overrule your case manager’s decision, change it or decide that it’s right. You’ll receive the review officer’s decision by registered mail. If you don’t want to accept this decision, you can appeal it to the Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission (AICAC). You have 90 days from the time you receive the review officer’s decision to write to AICAC and request an appeal.
Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission
The Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission (AICAC) is a special tribunal operating completely independent of Manitoba Public Insurance. Commissioners are appointed by the Manitoba government and administered by the Department of Justice.
It’s the next step in your appeal process, if you’ve pursued and rejected the findings of our internal review officer.
For information and forms to file an appeal with the AICAC, visit their website or call 204-945-4155. It is important to note that the Notice of Appeal form should be sent back to them within 90 days from the time your internal review officer’s decision is received.
You can seek assistance from the Claimant Adviser Office to prepare your appeal.
The AICAC’s decision on your case is final, except in limited circumstances where you may be able to appeal AICAC’s decision to the Manitoba Court of Appeal. You’ll need approval from a judge of the Court of Appeal to pursue this option.
Mediation
Mediation is an option if you have an appeal with the AICAC. An independent mediator, who is contracted through the Automobile Injury Mediation (AIM) office, will work with you and a representative from MPI’s Injury Claims Management Department in an effort to achieve a case resolution, as an alternative to a hearing.
Claimant Adviser Office
The Claimant Adviser Office is an advocacy office completely independent of Manitoba Public Insurance and the Automobile Injury Compensation Appeal Commission (AICAC).
Claimant advisers can help with the appeal to the AICAC. If you elect the option of mediation they can represent you during your mediation and appeal hearing. They will explain how the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act and Regulations apply to your bodily injury claim and how the mediation and appeal process works. The office can also carry out investigations and obtain expert opinions.
These services are provided free of charge. Clients may need to pay for additional medical reports required for mediation or an appeal if the charges exceed limits payable by MPI.
The assistance of the Claimant Adviser Office is available only after an application to AICAC has been submitted and a bodily injury claim decision has been issued in writing by the Internal Review Office of MPI. After you receive a written decision, you have 90 days to file a Notice of Appeal with the AICAC.
To contact the Claimant Adviser Office, phone 204-945-7413 in Winnipeg (toll-free 1-800-282-8069, ext. 7413 outside Winnipeg) or email [email protected].
Other concerns
Fair Practices Office
Manitoba Public Insurance’s Fair Practices Office (204–985–8117) reviews our service delivery and policies for overall fairness. Although this office is part of Manitoba Public Insurance, it’s at an arm’s length from your claim. The Fair Practices Office helps ensure we handle claims ethically, honestly and impartially. You can contact the Fair Practices and Customer Relations team if you have a concern about our operations or about how your claim was handled.
The Provincial Ombudsman
The Manitoba Ombudsman is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly, who assists people and public sector organizations with their concerns by conducting impartial investigations, making recommendations and providing guidance to ensure people are treated in a consistent, fair and reasonable manner and that their rights to information and privacy are protected. The Ombudsman is not an appeal body and cannot substitute their opinion for that of the Corporation. They do not have the power to overturn decisions. In its investigations, the Ombudsman identifies problems with a particular process, decision or systemic issue and may make recommendations to the Corporation to address the issue. They can be reached at 204-982-9130, 1-800-665-0531 (toll free) or by email to [email protected].