Pay up, crash victims

Don't get in an accident in Burlington, where the fire department has started billing residents involved in motor vehicle accidents, regardless of who is at fault.

The new bill-everyone policy means a $350 flat rate will be divided equally among all drivers involved in accidents in which the fire department responds.

A tab for materials used to handle the incident will be added to the cost, to be split equally between all motorists involved. That includes $200 per pail for the absorbent material for containing fluid spills, $150-$175 per pail for the foam used for smothering fuel- or oil-based fires, and $50-$250 for each of the special brooms used to absorb oil.

For a total bill of $750 for absorbent material and foam in a two-vehicle collision, the cost is now $362.50 per driver.

What do you think?

Comments

[CWA]

how about we pay emergency response people minimum wage and then when they go on a call they earn what they get now

[Tara]

first my hard earned tax dollars are used to build the roads and then to pay for services such as fire, police assistance etc... so now not only do i have to pay for it through my taxes but i have to pay it when they bill me, that is just stupid. before you know fire crews will be saying sorry ma'am we can't get your daughter out of that car until you pay us. Another cash grab by the government. I wonder if the government realizes that the more they tax us and bill us left right and center we'll all be poor and homeless (expletive deleted) government pisses me off.

[J.R.]

I was in a collision in Burlington over a year ago. The fire department billed me for half even though it was entirely the other person's fault because I don't live in Burlington. My insurance company paid it. My only concern is that if fire departments start doing this the insurance companies will find a way to get out of paying it. Did you know that you have to exhaust your own private medical insurance for things like physio before the auto insurance company will pay, even if it was not your fault? That means that if anything else happens to you, say you lift something and hurt yourself, then you have exhausted your medical insurance and are out of luck.

[Bones]

We are sorry that your husband was hit by a drunk driver and died.
Let's see here, that comes to
$362.50

[Liz]

What if a party involved is killed? Who will pay then? Are they callous enough to bill next of kin? This just adds insult to injury, literally.

[Steve Sheen]

Absolutely ridiculouse ,This is just wrong in my opinion,Accidents happen its a fact. Takeing fianancial cost from the innocent party in an accident the people not at fault wheres the logic in that.

[Vinelander]

They can send a bill, but why would any who doesn't own a home or business there have to pay?

[Eric]

Too bad some of us don't have a choice about this, seeing as how we live and work in Burlington. It's nice of them to extort the residents of the city like this.

[john]

Even going to Toronto could get you a bill. The highways all go thru Burlington. What a Cash Grab.

[robbie]

Then lets make all fire departments justify their existance. Make them income generating businesses that charge out all of their services. Make the user pay. They can't have it both ways. Take tax dollars and then charge the tax payer for using the service. This is what government agencies do when things get desparate.

[Allan Taylor]

OK I won't drive in Burlington. There goes a chunk of change your city won't see. If that makes sense to Burlington then OK. The fact is the new protocol punishes inocent victims. It shows the people in charge of the |Fire Department are heartless souls who have no business being in emergency services for moral reasons. Whats next? Leave me on the side of the road to die because I don't have the money to pay when I get run down crossing at a green light?

[Mike Russell]

BobbyB

The reason we have a fire department is to respond to emergency's and to rescue people in need of rescuing.

We do not pay for them with tax dollars to sit in their stations and watch tv or sleep. They are on call to provide a service to taxpayers whether they are at fault or not.

[Mike L]

Stop having the fire dept duplicate ambulance services and we wouldn't have ridiculous scenarios like this. This is a regular occurance in Burlington and I'd wager most of the mileage on the present fleet is duplicating ambulance calls.

[outtamyway]

Don't like it...

Don't have accidents.

If you feel you can't avoid accidents, don't drive in Burlington.

Easy peasy.

[Dream On]

90% of people say NO? What is this Alberta??? I thought we love to pay when things aren't our fault, don't we Ontario? That's the way we've raised our children, "this isn't your fault, but you will pay for it now". Good luck not paying, I'm sure 90% of you are also living on credit with a mortgage and leased vehicle... Hail Dalton.

[Ken]

It would be reasonable if the fire department was asked to attend and needed when they got there but in the majority of accidents this is not he case.Also it sounds as though they are adding a significant mark up on the materials or paying far too much in the first place.Only the at fault driver should pay anything.

[kathy Hagan]

I dont think that anyone should pay. Taxes are meant for these kinds of situations. What's next will they bill for ambulance service if one is required? In my opinion this is just another money grabbing opportunity.

[Suz1]

Now Im curious why my comment wasn't posted from earlier. All I said was that I don't have to go to Burlington and I plan on telling everyone about this so they are aware.

(Blogger's note: Don't know what happened to your earlier comment, never received it -- Howard Elliott, Managing Editor)

[Nichole]

@BobbyB

Some people have jobs, and they can't afford the time and money it takes to go to small claims court. Can you imagine how backed up it would be every time someone was charged for a crash they weren't at fault for?
Why should innocent people be forced to take others to court because the city is charging them for something they didn't do?
This DOESN'T encourage safe driving. This only discourages tourism.

[Mandy]

I think this is very, very wrong.
What if someone was hit by a drunk driver and their children in the backseat were killed? They have to pay the city $350 for that??

That is absolutely ridiculous. It is completely unfair to charge people who are innocent. I will not be going to Burlington anytime soon! I like to shop there because they have a bunch of clothing stores that aren't available in Hamilton. But from now on, I'll go to Toronto instead.

[Dave]

THIEVERY!

[Jamie]

@ BobbyB. So, if I get into a collision & am not at fault not only do I have to deal with the stress of insurance companies, possibly injuries, etc. but now you suggest I have to deal with the legal system & try to sue someone who may end up being broke! I could get nothing expect an additional legal bill from a lawyer plus lost wages from dealing with this collision which wasn't my fault in the first place. Great plan! Charge the at fault driver, the victim suffers enough.

[sgriffin]

In response to BobbyB's post:

So if you were the one who didn't cause the accident, do you still think you should have to pay? If some "Bonehead" driver rear-ended you and totalled your car, should you still have to pay the 350 to have everything cleaned up?

I disagree. I think the person who caused the accident should definitely pay for the expenses, however the person who was not at fault should have nothing to pay.

[lalala]

To the people saying to drive better- as it were that easy. People are billed, regardless of who is at fault. I was at a red light and plowed into from behind by a kid driving an 80s van and pushed into the car ahead of me. I was 100% not at fault, yet I would have to pay the bill. That is wrong.

Insurance companies will pay for it, but premiums will go up for everyone, especially Burlington residents.

Don't be so simplistic.

[somewheretotherightofattilathehun]

I don't live in Burlington, but I shopped there often. This decision will certainly influence where I spend my disposable income. It definitely won't be in Burlington.
I wonder....if my car gets stolen while visiting Burlington, can I bill the police department for not doing their job?

[BobbyB]

CityNeedsNewLeaders wants to know "Someone remind me again, why do we pay taxes."

You pay taxes for things such as schools, water, sewer, garbage collection, policing, road construction, snow removal, maintenance, street lighting.....things like that. Fire services are also paid through taxes but NOT to rescue you gratis when you drive like a bonehead.

You have house/home/car/personal insurance to cover you but why should MY TAXES go up to cover fire rescue services because of bonehead drivers!

If a false alarm is triggered at your house for police or fire then you pay for the cost of the response to the false alarm. My taxes don't pay for it YOU pay for it!

Drive better and no cost is incurred. Drive like a BONEHEAD and pay the freight! It's your choice!

[BobbyB]

I agree with charging for this service.

If people want to avoid the bill then start to drive better!

Drivers continue to exhibit bad driving skills, they speed, fail to signal, make sudden lane changes, and fail to check if they will cause other drivers an issue!

So, the only way that it would appear to be to teach drivers to obey the rules is to hit them in the pocket book!

And if you are tagged to pay and you did not create the problem by your driving then take the offending driver to court and sue to get reimbursed what you paid for their stupid driving practices!

[ed]

Since Hamtown has copied just about every surcharge, new tax and user fee that Toronto has dreamed up, I see us copying that one to for here. get ready!

[Realistic]

do you get the choice of a fire truck repsonding? If i call for an ambulance and or a police cruiser and a fire truck shows up, do i get charged? I never asked for it. will they send them to all 911 calls and crashes just to charge the fee or just the ones who need it?

[Jmacpherson]

I witnessed an accident in Burlington and called it in. 2 weeks later I received a bill from the Fire Department. 2 phones calls later (long distance) and 4 weeks later they decided I didn't have to pay. Not much of an incentive to be a good citizen

[Ricko]

It’s a legal form of extortion, or worse, an avenue for insurance companies to raise rates as well.

No one will pass this on to their insurance company, so they will simply pay it. However, rates will increase because insurance companies will state that it is a direct cost to them.

It’s perfect! The city gets the money through a strong arm tactic, and Insurance companies do what they always do...fleece us.

Just wait until after Hamilton City elections. We’ll have the same here.

Bank on it.

[lalala]

I agree with Janet. I would pay it because I am not going to let a bill get sent to corrections.

However, I won't be going to Burlington in the future if I can help it.

I encourage everyone who plans to shop elsewhere to let the retailers know, so they can complain to Burlington city council.

I'm worried some people will require emergency services, but will now be hesitant to call. Sad.

[Nathan Borges]

This is a sign of things to come. We have to realize that the cost of these services are growing. No differnet then opperating costs of schools and hospitals. Alot of this is due over companesated labour cost that are way out of control. So the coice is to either increase taxes or user fees. Get used to it you will see this in your hospitials and schools soon too. Untill we get our labour cost under control there is little choice.

[CityNeedsNewLeaders]

I would encourage anyone who gets a bill from the Fire Department, to either ignore it or deduct it from their tax bill.

[Mike Russell]

Someone remind me again, why do we pay taxes.

If they are going to charge for basic emergency services that are supposed to be covered by taxes then what are our taxes paying for.

This is nothing more than a tax grab being disguised as a user fee. They are going to take advantage of people in a bad situation.

[Peter Michael]

Guess there's a reason Burlington's taxes are so low.

This is setting a bad precedent which will be quickly duplicated for a quick, easy, no questions asked cash grab.

The other thing is, shouldn't this be covered by our auto insurance plans? If not it soon will and as a by-product give insurance another explanation as to increased costs.

And so the world turns...

[Janet]

I don't see where you have a choice on whether to pay the 'fine' or not, so, yeah, I guess I'd be paying.

However, I do have a choice about going to Burlington, where I will often shop at stores not readily available in the Hamilton area. Most of those same stores are in Ancaster, so this will be my new destination. A few dollars more for gas is better than having some idiot t-bone me on Plains Road, and it end up costing me money. Buh-bye Burlington, thanks for the memories.

[sgriffin]

I can understand billing the person who is at fault, but why on earth would Burlington bill the person who didn't cause the accident? Where is the logic in that?

[Jamie]

Note to self...stay the hell outta Burlington.