The rural federal government paid concerning $165,000 in settlement in 2015 to chauffeurs whose lorries were harmed by fractures, according to Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Appearing prior to a legal board on Thursday, Chiasson was barbequed by Progressive Conservative MLA Don Monahan concerning the state of the district’s roadways, and the damages they’re doing to chauffeurs’ cars and trucks– and their back pockets.
“I’m getting a lot of inquiries lately about citizens having vehicle damage etcetera through the winter, through potholes and perhaps snow plows that are causing issues (to) mailboxes and fences,” Monahan stated.
“I want to understand (the compensation) process, and how often we actually pay out on a claim when a citizen is having damage to their property that’s based on a pothole that hasn’t been repaired, or some other type of roadside neglect.”
To make an insurance claim, Chiasson responded, individuals must begin by either calling 1-833-384-4111 or by emailing their case to DTIdamageclaims@gnb.ca– and he “strongly” recommended consisting of images “of both the hole and the damage that it’s caused.”
“The claim is evaluated by DTI, and then DTI makes a decision on whether the claim is valid or not, and usually about at least 50 per cent of the time, there is a claim that’s paid out,” Chiasson included.
“And for the year 2024/2025, we actually paid out about $165,000 in damages.”
Monahan after that asked what individuals can do if DTI declines their case, and whether the division’s preliminary response to insurance claims is to “just push back” “until the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
“Normally, when somebody submits a claim and their claim is refused, it’s explained to them why their claim is is refused,” Chiasson responded. “I don’t think, and I would hate to think, that the norm would be to push back.
“(A claim) goes to a claims officer for the first review, and then the claims officer contacts a citizen and says, we’ve accepted or denied your claim … and then if the client is not happy, they can escalate it.”
In those situations, Chiasson stated, a cases supervisor reflects on the case.
“I’ve gotten involved in some of these myself and pushed back, and most times when I’ve gotten involved, they’ve come back and said, ‘There’s valid reasons’ (for denying the claim). And there would be many valid reasons why a claim would be refused. I don’t think I can actually list them off to you, but there are valid reasons why they’d be refused, as well as why they would be accepted.”
Monahan stated he would certainly been associated with 2 current scenarios that led him to see whether he can be made up.
“I didn’t know where to go, so I called the claims adjuster myself,” he stated. “Obviously they didn’t answer me, but then I got a message from a manager, and that’s (how) I knew how to redirect the inquiry at that point in time.
“But for most people, it’s not obvious. It’s not evident. So maybe we need to look at that procedure to make it clear and a little more transparent for the citizens of New Brunswick.”
The problems of the district’s roadways showed up a number of times throughout Chiasson’s look, and Green MLA Megan Mitton, that stands for Tantramar, focused in on one in her riding: Route 955, which runs past the Northumberland Strait, Murray Beach Provincial Park, and P.E.I’s Confederation Bridge
“I’ve heard from constituents who have wrecked their car so bad that it’s been written off,” Mitton stated.
“I know that there are people who’ve had to choose between wrecking their car with major potholes or crossing the yellow line and hitting oncoming traffic. I know people who’ve had to go off the road because someone else had crossed the yellow line to avoid a dangerous pothole.
“I’m terrified that someone’s going to die if something is not done in the short term for at least parts of this.”
She after that asked Chiasson for an upgrade on what job will certainly be done on that particular roadway this year.
He responded that “it’s pothole season” and “inevitable,” yet kept in mind that Route 955 “is on the capital plan for next year for 8.1 kilometres (of roadwork).”
“I would like to get down and actually visit that area for myself and see exactly what the issues are and and then probably talk with staff on how we can address them in the short, medium and long term.”
