Uncover the shocking truth behind the practices of Alberta’s insurance industry as victim Shelly-Ann Petz exposes the injustices faced by accident victims, particularly in her case against Wawanesa. Despite the highest premiums in Canada, the industry is set to profit billions, leaving victims like Petz in financial ruin due to biased judgments and deceitful tactics.
In a startling revelation, Shelly-Ann Petz, a victim of a severe car accident on Highway 22x in 2004, has come forward to expose the unjust and destructive practices of insurance companies in Alberta. Shelly-Ann Petz’s case highlights the alarming discrepancy between Canadian insurance law’s intent and the grim reality faced by accident victims in the province.
According to Canadian insurance law, insurance companies are designated as the “safekeepers of insurance premiums,” collected for the purpose compensating individuals for injuries, losses, and damages resulting from accidents. The law emphasizes the need for strict regulation to ensure fairness and consumer protection.
Recent statistics produced showed that Albertans pay the highest insurance premiums across Canada. Even before this case, medical specialists stated it is the worst place to be in an accident in Canada and personal injury lawyers stated Albertans don’t receive the compensation they deserve when injured in an accident. despite paying exorbitant premiums. It is deeply troubling to note that, exacerbating an already concerning situation, the industry is poised to attain pre-tax profits of approximately $800 million in 2023, evidently at the expense of diligent Canadians.
Now, because of Shelly-Ann Petz’s case, Albertans are poised to receive even less when injured in an accident. Shelly-Ann’s lawyer reveals that lawyers from across the city and province are expressing outrage at the potential outcome, anticipating the devastating impact it will have on future cases.
Shelly-Ann Petz’s accident occurred on September 12, 2004 along Highway 22x when another driver made a sudden illegal left-hand turn in front of her van, resulting in two collisions at 93 kms/hr. Shelly-Ann Petz sustained life-altering injuries, including a mild traumatic brain injury, a deviated septum from the airbag deploying at over 400 kms/hr, permanent neck, shoulder, back and hip injuries.
Due to being in a van with a 5/5 safety rating, their lives were spared, but the aftermath has been nothing short of life-altering and devasting in every way, due to the tactics used by the Defendant’s insurance company, Wawanesa.
Shelly-Ann Petz was terminated from employment at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP for seeking flexibility to attend medical appointments after the accident. Despite the clear conflict of interest, the same law firm later represented the driver responsible for the accident.
Insurance companies employed deceitful tactics, including sending Shelly-Ann Petz to a selectively chosen doctor for an independent medical exam, resulting in the termination of vital benefits for medication and treatments based on a false report. Shelly-Ann Petz had to bear the financial burden of medical expenses, leading to significant debt.
Shelly-Ann was sent to inappropriate specialists, such as orthopedic specialists when there were no broken bones, to have them produce false reports – a tactic routinely used by insurance companies and their lawyers, as reported by lawyers. They hired a lawyer who lied in every court application, breached the Rules of Court, and committed fraud having failed to disclose a video so the false claims could not be defended, all of which the judge allowed. That trial judge is widely known for ruling on bias rather than facts and evidence, claimed malingering/credibility in Shelly-Ann’s case, along with another case handled by Shelly-Ann’s lawyer who was left with an IQ of 70, bankrupt, and living with severe impairment. Following extensive assessments, the psychiatrists in both cases reported there was no malingering but the judge disqualified the psychiatrists’ reports, because they did not do a physical exam, which a psychiatrist, a mental health specialist, would never do. It was also discovered the judge and lawyer for the Defendant were having private discussions, a serious breach of the Code of Conduct.
Shelly-Ann has been left with physical and mental impairments, necessitating frequent and painful treatments for Shelly-Ann Petz. The financial strain resulting from medical expenses and loss of income due to the inability to work forced Shelly-Ann Petz into poverty, while solely supporting a young child.
The financial repercussions have been dire for Shelly-Ann Petz, accumulating a debt of $350,000 to cover necessary expenses, assessments, treatments, and trial costs. With retirement savings depleted and a Writ of Enforcement registered against Shelly-Ann Petz’s home in the name of the driver charged for causing the accident, due to hundreds of thousands of dollars spent hiring specialists to write false reports and falsify their findings and with the judgment being so low, bankruptcy and homelessness looms as a real possibility.
For a person with 10 years of post-secondary education and three designations to have a loss of income claim of $1,000,000 alone, and to be forced into poverty, bankruptcy, and homelessness after surviving what should have been a fatal accident, it is beyond a gross injustice and egregious violation of Canadian insurance laws.
Alberta insurance companies rake in billions in profits each year, spending exorbitant amounts to avoid paying claims and will delay claims out in some cases over 15 years to wear people down so they become so desperate they accept an unfair amount. Injured parties become homeless, bankrupt, live-in pain, and at poverty levels due to fraud and deceit committed by insurance companies and the lawyers they hire, forcing them to go on AISH and turning them into financial burdens on Alberta taxpayers.
Being under the Common Law system in Canada, based on previous cases, everyone in the province will be affected by the outcome of this case. A City of Calgary lawyer commented on the severe gross injustice, stating that both the lawyer and judge involved should be sued. The City of Calgary lawyer disclosed that they are now using Shelly-Ann Petz’s case as a precedent to evade claims.
Shelly-Ann Petz’s case is a stark reminder that the time is long overdue for a widespread public exposé of these nefarious practices. The deceit, fraud, delays, and tactics employed by Alberta insurance companies, in blatant breach of Canadian insurance laws, must be exposed publicly locally, nationally, and internationally, or more lives will be destroyed.
In a bid to prevent further financial ruin, a GoFundMe page has been set up by friend Diana How to support Shelly-Ann Petz. The page aims to bring attention to her plight and address the systemic issues within the insurance industry, preventing future victims from enduring similar injustices. To contribute and show support, visit the GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/Help-Shelly-find-Justice-After-A-Horrific-Accident.
Shelly-Ann Petz, in her pursuit of justice, encourages media outlets and the public to shed light on the dark practices of Alberta insurance companies. For further information, please contact Shelly-Ann Petz at shelly.annp@outlook.com or telephone +1 (403) 462-4996.
Media Contact:
Shelly-Ann Petz
EMWNews.com
shelly.annp@outlook.com
(403) 462-4996
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Help-Shelly-find-Justice-After-A-Horrific-Accident
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Funds Spectrum journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.