Winnipeg, Manitoba — April 14, 2014 — Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) wants to close loopholes that currently allow golfers who crash their golf carts and racers who crash on the track to collect benefits. The changes are included in the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act, introduced last week by Justice Minister Andrew Swan.
Recent court decisions have found that MPI owed benefits to injured golfers, despite the fact that golf carts are not registered with MPI. Three cases involving golf courts are currently before the courts. The public insurer has also had to reportedly pay out for accidents that occurred when drivers took their sports cars out on closed race tracks.
The relevant changes are to MPI’s personal injury protection plan, and would also include electric bikes, Segway-style scooters and children’s battery-powered cars. However, coverage would still be extended if those vehicles were involved in a collision with a vehicle that is registered with MPI.
In addition, MPI and the province plant to put new penalties for fraud, creating a new provincial offence for claimants who knowingly provide false information or attempt to mislead MPI regarding the nature or details of a claim.
The proposed amendments would set maximum fines for this type fraud at $50,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation.
