For years, people impacted by serious crashes had been waiting for a chance to tell government leaders face-to-face how B.C.’s no-fault insurance system affected their lives. That opportunity appeared to arrive this month, when a legislative committee began reviewing ICBC’s Enhanced Care model, also known as no-fault insurance. Then the provincial election was called. The election dissolved legislative committees and put the review on indefinite pause, leaving victims, advocates and organizations uncertain about whether the process will resume and what will happen to the testimony and submissions already collected. Among those preparing to speak was Susannah Devitt, whose son Matthew Martin died by suicide in 2025 after years of struggling with injuries he suffered when he was struck by a vehicle while cycling in East Vancouver. Martin suffered neck and back injuries in the crash. His mother says his mental health also deteriorated in the years that followed. “It is a living nightmare inside my body and mind ... I am finding more than not that this five years of struggle will end with my death,” Martin wrote, in a written statement before his death. Three weeks later, Martin took his own life in the same location where he had been hit. “I’ve been consumed with my son’s plight,” Devitt told CTV News. Devitt is not alone. Linda Chisholm lost her daughter and eight-year-old twin granddaughters in a head-on collision near Cranbrook in 2023. She believes her daughter’s surviving family wasn’t adequately compensated through the no-fault system. Chisholm testified before the committee last week but now worries the election could undermine the impact of what participants shared during the review. “My worry is like the emotion that was in that room has to be witnessed,” she said. “Like so if they have seven new MLAs that have no idea what was said, you know, they can read the transcript, big deal.” The committee heard a wide range of views on B.C.’s no-fault insurance system. While some crash victims and advocates called for major changes, other groups generally supported Enhanced Care while recommending improvements. Organizations including Doctors of B.C., the Insurance Brokers Association of B.C. and BrainTrust Canada argued the system should be strengthened rather than scrapped. The review was examining the first five years of Enhanced Care, which was introduced in 2021 and replaced B.C.’s previous system that allowed most crash victims to sue for damages. The future of that review may depend on the province’s next government. Former B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad previously promised to restore the right to sue in cases involving life-altering injuries. Asked Monday whether that remains party policy, new B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson said the party is still developing its approach. “We’re considering an insurance policy as well, and there’s certainly been some challenges with no-fault insurance, but we’ll come back to that another day,” he said. Party officials later told CTV News an announcement on the Conservatives’ insurance policy would come at a later date. For now, many of those who spent months preparing to participate in the review remain uncertain about whether their concerns will ever be formally considered. “It’s a grief,” said Devitt. “It’s a kind of grief. It’s a roller coaster ride.”
