Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund: The Definite Guide
If you are a vehicle owner in Alberta, you must have valid insurance in your name. However, some people do not have such insurance. So, when an accident occurs and you need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Calgary, they end up getting injured and cannot land any compensation. Sometimes, the at-fault driver will just flee, and the victim will be stranded with a broken vehicle. So know all about motor vehicle accident claims fund in the following articles.
The Motor Vehicle Accident Claims (MVAC) Program was established to assist these vehicle owners and drivers. The victim of an accident can sue and ask for compensation under the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act. The judge will provide monetary support to the victim from the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund.
Under this fund, you can get a payment of up to $200,000 depending on the severity of the accident. So, how do you file your claim under the MVAC’s fund after an accident? This article will provide a definite guide to the question.
Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund in Alberta
The motor vehicle accident claim programs in Alberta allow you to seek compensation for damages from the accident. Under the motor vehicle accident claim programs, the fund where you can acquire monetary benefits is called the motor vehicle accident claims fund.
There are specific claims that you must fulfill before applying for the MVACF in Alberta. One of the key factors that play a huge role is that you must be bodily injured. Just property damage will not make you eligible for the MVACF. You must be living in Alberta, and the accident must have taken place inside Alberta. Anything other than that will entail your ineligibility of acquiring the claim.
Lastly, you must not be an at-fault party in the accident. This also includes that the at-fault party must be uninsured or unidentified. If you are the reason for your own accident, you cannot ask for the fund under the motor vehicle accident claim act.
Car accident settlement payouts in Alberta
Once you apply for the compensation claim, you will now have to prove your claim. Proper evidence and a rightful claim will ensure your way through that.
However, there is a fixed amount you will receive from the settlement. This amount is a maximum of $200,000. Despite the severity of the accident, the settlement payout is limited to a maximum of $200,000.
Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund Act
The MVAC Fund Act has been established to help people without insurance. You may have been involved in an accident, and you have no insurance to claim your compensation. In situations like this, you will have to look towards the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund Act.
What is the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund?
The MVACF is a fund that has been created by the government of Ontario. The fund’s main objective is to ensure people who have faced unfortunate accidents can get money to survive. The special case to acquire this fund is that the accident claim should ideally involve no-insurance claim possibilities.
The only time you can claim and receive money from the fund is when there is no possibility of getting insurance coverage. As a result, the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund is the last resort to acquire money to recover from a motor vehicle accident.
How do motor vehicle accident claims funds work?
The motor vehicle accident claims fund is your last option when there is no insurance coverage for the accident. There are 2 distinctive types of compensation you can apply for.
The first one is applying for statutory accident benefits. These are also known as no-fault benefits. This is a type of benefit that provides you with funds for any injury from the accident regardless of at-fault or no-fault. In a normal situation, this benefit is acclaimed from insurance.
If you do not have insurance, you can seek your recovery from the statutory accident benefit fund. In addition, you can also claim this fund even if you have insurance coverage. Still, you are not entitled to claiming insurance money. for instance, being involved in a hit and run as a pedestrian entitles you to apply for no-fault benefits.
Ideally, you should apply for a tort claim when you want to claim compensation from the at-fault party. In this scenario, the at-fault party pays the compensation amount through their insurance company. However, the at-fault party sometimes can be unidentified.
Also, the at-fault party may not even have insurance of their own. In such situations, you can claim for your damages through the MVACF. In order to claim compensation through MVACF, you will first need to file a case against the at-fault party to the court.
Benefits of Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund
The MVACF is known as the payer of the last resort. When you have no option of getting money to fix the damages and recover from the injuries from the road accident, this is where you go.
The MVACF was created, keeping the highest benefit of an individual in mind. Accidents are never pleasant. Almost every time, accidents will leave you with permanent scars. Recovering from any damage is absolutely crucial.
Without money, you cannot possibly expect to recover. One of the most common scenarios from an accident is that one or both parties may not have any car insurance coverage. Sometimes, the at-fault party may flee the place of the incident. MVACF is your go-to option in such situations.
In addition, the amount you may receive from the MVACF is substantially beneficial for a person to overcome post-traumatic events. The fund was a blessing for many when the accident happened to no fault of their own.
Motor vehicle accident claim fund forms
You will need to fill out specific forms to apply for the motor vehicle accident claims fund. You will need other supporting documents as well. But remember, a lawyer should ideally fill up the form.
If the at-fault party is known, you will need to submit three distinctive forms. The first form you will need is the statutory declaration form. If you are using a lawyer to fight your case, you will need to fill out and submit a certificate form.
Finally, as the defendant is known, you will need to fill out a special form that is named the Assignment of Judgement form. All these will need to be submitted to the court, along with supporting documents.
If the defendant is not identified, you will not need the special form, which is the Assignment of Judgement form. In this case, you will have to fill out the statutory form that is under Section 7(8).
Furthermore, you will need to fill out a medical certificate form as well. This will include your physical and cognitive damages from the accident.
Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund Contact
You can easily contact the authorities to claim your compensation under the motor vehicle accident claims fund. The office of the motor vehicle accident claims the program is open Monday to Friday. Only on the statutory holidays, the office remains closed. The office hour is 08:15 am to 04:30 pm.
The most suitable way to get in touch is a phone call. The main phone number of the office is 780-427-8255. You can add 310-0000 to call at the office without any toll amount charged. In addition, you can always email your details to the program office. The official email is alberta.mvac@gov.ab.ca.
If you want to visit or send someone to the office physically, that is possible too. The address is as follows: suite 600, Sun Life Place 10123 99 Street NW. You can visit and contact the office at any time during office hours.
Conclusion
It is normal to feel helpless when you do not have insurance and a road accident victim. However, the local authority is here to be the last resort to your hopelessness.
The Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund was created to help the victims who either do not have insurance coverage or cannot identify the at-fault party. Contact your lawyer and the MVACF office to claim monetary support after a car accident.
