Girl denied accident insurance claim for critical eye injury by Industrial Alliance
Quebec-based insurer Industrial Alliance was in the news last week for reporting an enormous surge in third-quarter profits. This week, however, it’s making headlines for a completely different kind of reason.
In a story published this morning by CBC’s Go Public investigative division, it was revealed that the company is denying a claim made by a North Vancouver client whose 12-year-old daughter sustained a traumatic eye injury while playing soccer last fall. Emily Laprise required $50,000 worth of surgery to repair the damage that was done to her retina. The only contribution her family has received from Industrial Alliance is a cheque for $8.40—a sum that covers the cost of gas it took to get from the soccer field to the hospital.
Laprise’s family had been covering her with accident insurance since she was born, but a highly specific clause is preventing them from getting any kind of significant financial assistance in this situation. The policy states that the insured person “must have a corrected visual actuality of less than 20/200” to qualify for compensation. With the help of intense prescription glasses Laprise has passable vision. But her quality of life has changed irrevocably, and her optometrist believes that further complications could still arise down the line from the effects of this accident.
Industrial Alliance declined a request to be interviewed for the CBC’s story. Following the article’s publication though, the company posted a tweet on its official account that read: “We understand the concerns of the Laprise family and will work with them to evaluate any new elements that may help resolve the situation.”
While Laprise will receive a $15,000 payout from the BC Soccer Association’s sport accident policy, it far from covers the extent of her medical costs. This situation is a sobering reminder that many accident insurance plans can be riddled with tricky language and stipulations designed to protect companies from having to pay out. If you or your family currently have accident insurance coverage, make sure to get a clear understanding of how that coverage works in order to properly decide if it is right for you.