The Full ICBC Claims Process: How to Report, and How Much Your Premium Goes Up

What to do first

Don’t panic — go in order:

1. Make sure everyone is safe: turn on your hazards, and call 911 immediately if anyone is hurt;
2. Call the police (if needed): when there are injuries, major property damage, or a crime (like a hit-and-run);
3. Document the scene: take photos (damage, plates, the intersection, the other vehicle) and record the other party’s name, licence, plate and insurance info, plus witness contacts;
4. Don’t admit fault or settle on the spot: leave fault determination to ICBC — settling privately often leaves you worse off.

The exact threshold for calling police (property damage amount, etc.) needs to be verified.

The general ICBC claims process

1. Report (Dial-A-Claim or online): submit a claim by phone or on ICBC’s website/app and get a claim number;
2. Assessment: ICBC evaluates the vehicle damage;
3. Repair: repair at an ICBC-approved shop (Valet shop), usually billed directly through insurance;
4. Payout: settled according to your coverage and deductible; injury claims follow a separate process.

The exact documents and time limits at each step need to be verified.

How fault affects your premium

This is what everyone cares about. In short:

• Found at-fault: usually affects your renewal discount, and the premium may rise;
• Not-at-fault: generally has little impact on your premium;
• Partial fault: assessed proportionally.

ICBC has a set of rules that calculate premiums from your driving and claims record. Exactly how much an at-fault accident raises your premium, and for how many years, is determined by ICBC’s rules and needs to be verified.

If you’ve built up a good claim-free discount, one at-fault accident can cut into it — which is exactly why “whether to report a minor scratch” is worth doing the math on.

Minor scratches: claim vs pay out of pocket

A practical way to decide:

• Repair ≤ deductible: you’d pay this yourself on a claim anyway, and it may hurt your discount — usually cheaper to pay out of pocket;
• Repair ≫ deductible, or another vehicle / injuries are involved: you should report and claim;
• When unsure, get a rough repair estimate first, then decide.

Your deductible amount and the exact impact of a claim on your discount need to be verified.

A few easily overlooked points

• Glass coverage: windshields and the like sometimes have separate arrangements that may be handled differently from collision damage; whether it’s separate and how it’s claimed needs to be verified.
• Towing / courtesy car: some optional coverages include towing or a courtesy car — good to know before you need it;
• Report honestly: concealing or misstating the situation can get a claim denied.

How I can help

After an incident, if you’re not sure whether to report, how to report, or whether it’ll affect your premium, message or call me anytime. I can help you decide whether a claim or paying out of pocket makes more sense this time, and help preserve your discount at renewal. If you haven’t sorted out how to set up your car insurance yet, start with Buying car insurance as a student in BC.