Subscribe to the ICBC Law Blog 
Subscribe via Email 
Visit my Linked In profile 
Follow me on Twitter 
Visit my JDSupra profile 
Visit my Facebook Business page 
Free Video Consultations via SKYPE
Media Requests
Client Satisfaction Survey
This Blog is authored by British Columbia personal injury lawyer Show Me The Money! ICBC and High Billing Physicians
May 10th, 2008
One of the benefits of having a crown corporation monopoly insurer (ICBC) in BC is that they must file annual reports accessible to members of the public. These annual reports can be found on-line and contain volumes of information regarding ICBC and their financial status.
One of the most interesting facts published annually by ICBC is the amount of money they pay ‘expert physicians’ who do work on ICBC’s behalf. This information is known to most ICBC claims lawyers and I thought some of my readers would be interested in this data as well.
As of the writing of this post the 2007 annual report is not available but the 2006 report is. Below is a list of some of the physicians who billed significant amounts to ICBC for their services in 2006. I will be sure to publish the highlight physician billings from ICBC’s 2007 report once available.
Dr. Kevein Favero (Orthopedic Surgeon, Langley, BC): $245,483
Dr. N. K. Reebye (Physical Medecine and Rebabilitation, New Westminster): $275,336
Dr. Peter M. Rees (Neurologist, Burnaby): $225,330
Dr. J. F Schweigel (Orthopedic Surgeon) : $796,012
Dr. D. M. Laidlow: (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Westbank) $101,539
Dr. Robert W. McGraw: (Orthopedic Surgoen, Vancouver) $253,240
Dr. T O’Farrell: (Orthopedic Surgoen, Kelowna) $111,162
Dr. James Warren: (Orthopedic Surgoen, Victoria) $87,207
Dr. O. M. Sovio: (Orthopedic Surgeon, Abbotsford) $203,892
Dr. H. Davis: (Psychiatrist, Vancouver) $113,950
Dr. Marc Boyle (Orthopaedic Surgeon, North Vancouver) $287,860
Dr. Paul Bishop (Vancouver, BC) $321,137
Dr. Mark Crossman (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vancouver) $111,441
Dr. I. G. Dommisse (Orhopaedic Surgoen, New Westminster) $194,612
Dr. H. E. Hawk (Orthopedic Surgeon, Vancouver) $336,650
If ICBC has sent you to an ‘independent medical examiner’ who tells you that you are not injured or that your injuries are not related to your ICBC claim and your own doctors strongly disagree it may be reasurring to know that you are not alone. Expert witnesses at times do cross the line and lose their objectivity. There are certainly instances where doctors have advocated on behalf of their client instead of providing objective opinion evidence and our BC Courts have certainly come down hard on such unhelpful behaviour in the past.
If you have been sent to a doctor by ICBC and you and your treating physicians disagree with the findings feel free to contact icbc claims lawyer Erik Magraken for advice concerning your legal options.
This site is created by MacIsaac & Company, a British Columbia Personal Injury Lawfirm. This website is not affiliated in any way with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). This web site is made possible through funding provided by the British Columbia law firm MacIsaac and Company. BC-injury-law.com is designed to empower individuals to better understand their ICBC Claim and the process involved in dealing with ICBC. This web site is offered for information only and is not claim-specific legal advice. Use of the site and sending or receiving information through it does not establish a solicitor / client relationship. Links to and from this website do not state or imply a relationship between MacIsaac and Company and the linked entity.