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Insurance Council of B.C. suspends broker for 12 months for trying to coerce a consumer into making a false claim to ICBC


October 18, 2011   by Canadian Underwriter


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The Insurance Council of British Columbia has suspended the license of an insurance broker for 12 months after the broker admitted she used her position in the industry to try to coerce a member of the public to make a false claim to the province’s public insurer – a claim that would have benefited the broker, who was liable for the motor vehicle accident.
A council investigation found that the suspended broker, Candice Samantha Sharpe-Terreault, was backing a van out of a parking lot in April 2011, when she struck the front left bumper of another vehicle.
The driver of the parked vehicle was walking towards the vehicles at the time and witnessed the motor vehicle accident. The driver of the parked vehicle exchanged cell phone numbers with the broker.
The driver was in a rush and told the broker that she would discuss the matter another time. The driver then told the broker of her intention to file an insurance claim with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).
Shortly after the accident, the broker initiated the following exchange of text messages, as reproduced in the council’s decision.
Former Licensee: “Hey sorry again for hitting your car…I work for an insurance agency, so if you want to call me on Thursday I will be @ work and I can look up your insurance, and whatever your comprehensible deductible is I’ll pay for it. And u can claim hit n run? Then I can just pay 4 the claim the $300 or $500 deductible, and it won’t affect either one of our insurance discounts.”
Party A [the driver of the parked car]: “I am sorry I don’t feel comfortable with that. I am busy with some events this evening. I will get back to you tomorrow.”
Former Licensee: “How are you not comfortable with claiming it? That makes no sense. As an insurance broker I know the easiest ways to claim and the quickest way is if I pay 4 it. Otherwise we can go through icbc and explain to them how when I was backing out, u were pulling out. We hit each other, then they have to decide who’s fault it is, how much % who’s fault. Then they evaluate it. Then decide. It can take weeks. I’m offering if u like to pay, that way neither one of us loses our discount. But we can both claim n lose discount if you like.”
Party A: “Because it’s dishonest. It wasn’t a hit and run.”
Former Licensee: “Ok, well then we can go through the icbc, explain how we hit each other in the parking lot, and then they decide who’s @ fault n how much, and we both lose our discount.”
Party A: “Well luckily the visitors parking has camera surveillance. I will discuss this with you tomorrow. Thank you!”
Former Licensee: “That’s funny, my car was keyed last week, they have no surveillance. Just coming down the ramp…But if they put new cameras in this week that’s good!”
Council noted the suspended broker admitted to council staff that she had made a foolish mistake and that her judgment was clouded by wanting to save money to support her family and by an undisclosed personal health issue at the time.
Nevertheless, council concluded, the suspended broker’s behaviour “was tantamount to an attempt to commit fraud and especially inexcusable given it involved a threat to a consumer.”


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