MIG implies a Minor Injury Guideline. In Alberta, the statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) includes MIG to guide the accident victims in Alberta to cover their damages. Generally, the insurers cover all damages if the victim’s injuries fall under the MIG standard.
Let’s dig out more in the following sections…
Everything You Need to Understand Minor Injury Guideline
Certain objectives imply what MIG is:
- People who are minor injured by car or auto will get quick access for treatment.
- The guideline ensures increased efficiency of health care services.
- It also comes up with regulated health professionals.
- It dispenses expenses and payment security for the insurers.
- The guideline is more comprehensive in offering prompt treatment to the victim without the need for insurer permission.
From the above objective of guidelines for minor injury, you have probably got the idea about MIG insurance in Alberta.
In MIG, the focus point is that the victim does not require any permission from the insurer to treat minor injuries. The victim needs to apply properly with the accident detail.
The structure of MIG implicates that the insurance companies can significantly lower the amount of money for a claim. A victim can get up to $2200 within the restriction of MIG. But it can be extended to $3500 maximum.
Though, the amount is not fully measured for every victim. Some maybe get the proper treatment with the amount, but for most victims, this is insufficient. Even it does not allow them to function as before the accident.
What is functional restoration?
Functional restoration refers to the program that aims to increase physical function, pain management skills, and a productive lifestyle. The purpose of Functional Restoration is to assist people in regaining a sense of well-being and positive life.
In short, functional restoration is the program that takes an injury victim to an active life. MIG comes up with goods and health care services as functional restoration.
Though the perspective of an insurer and a sufferer is different in terms of MIG insurance, the victim or sufferer has to get proper treatment to get the normal life back. But often, MIG restricts the amount for different reasons, which sometimes can lead not to the full recovery of the sufferer.
The injuries that MIG includes:
- Contusion or swelling
- Sprain or twist
- Strain
- Whiplash Associated Disorder
- Laceration or wound
- Abrasion
- Clinically associated sequelae
- Subluxation
The treatment methodology
The treatment structure of MIG recommends 12 weeks of the treatment plan. Each block should contain four weeks. According to the minor injury regulation, all the health service providers and practitioners supervise the injured person in each block.
If the injured need any extra care or additional treatment, the practitioners also suggest them. The injured might need ice packs, back supports, lumbar rolls, and so on. If the injured person needs any supplementary treatment, the insurer will cover this within the insurance cost.
The victim might have personal or employer given insurance. If so, that insurance should be used first. But don’t worry. The injured person paying from his/her extended health benefit for the injury will not go against their MIG insurance allowance.
Read More: High Risk Auto Insurance in Canada
How to Obtain Persuasive Evidence for Removal?
As the recovery amount of MIG insurance, most of the time, does not cover the total treatment expense that an injured person needs, the personal injury attorneys are concerned about the difficulty of their client and the limited amount of money of MIG given for optimal recovery.
The severity of the injury
As the MIG insurance does not cover all the expenses, to get higher compensation from MIG, the injured need to show the seriousness of their injury. The guideline of minor injury declares that the severity of the injury will if proved, the victim will not be disqualified from getting the benefit of MIG.
Medical Evidence
But the evidence of the injury should be provided with proper medical documentation made by a health practitioner.
“Compelling evidence is to be provided using the Treatment and Assessment Plan (OCF-18) with attached medical documentation, if any, prepared by a health practitioner.
The existence of any pre-existing condition will not automatically exclude a person’s impairment from this guideline. It is intended and expected that the vast majority of pre-existing conditions will not do so.” (From the Minor Injury Guideline, Financial Services Commission of Ontario)
This is an issue that what injury MIG authority will call minor injury. Especially, the term “Compelling Evidence” is a bit problematic here. It implies that the service provider needs to forecast the recovery of the patient in advance.
It’s tough to argue what injury is minor or not and what should be covered by MIG. However, seriously injured people can get from $3500 to a maximum of $65000 in a non-MIG claim is significant.
Type of injury
Another issue is insurance company labels the injury, whether it is minor or not. It is because they want to keep the payment low. For this reason, the victims whose injury was serious don’t get proper care and treatment, thus suffering from chronic pain rest of their life.
The injury can not be defined whether it is minor or not. It might be that some people’s injury is negligible, so the payment is okay for them to sustain their life as previous one. But not in every case. Other cases have broader incidents that need room for judicial interpretation.
While it’s true that the majority of “persons injured in car accidents in Ontario sustain minor injuries for which the goods and services provided under the MIG are appropriate,” this isn’t always the case, and there’s also concern that some of the broader definitions leave room for judicial interpretation.
Also Read: Most Common Traumatic Brain Injury
The MIG And Psychology
Along with injuries, people might have psychological issues too. There have been some movements by insures and adjudicators while MIG was written considering psychological deficits treatment.
Though there is nothing mentioned in MIG about treating psychological issues, many people indeed suffer from psychological injuries.
Many people who have been in accidents and suffered whiplash can be removed from the MIG if they have psychological problems.
With time, doctors are even better at diagnosing and identifying injuries like concussions. A concussion is a type of head injury that needs long-term treatment to heal.
So these types of injuries are diagnosed well by the doctors and can be out of MIG, which is excellent news for the victims of automobile accidents who want to get out from the MIG regulations.
Still, the victims need to have a personal injury lawyer to benefit from MIG regulations. Victims need to prove their situation which is not covered by the MIG.
To establish your injury, not a minor one, your attorney can show your reports, medical records, and other documents to get benefits to recover so that you can live your life or return to your work. It will help you to the compensation which is your right.
Final Words
It would be best if you had extra care when you are injured, whether minor or not. To get all the facilities from the minor injury guideline (MIG), you should hire a personal injury lawyer.
Injury lawyers can help you to avail all the facilities and financial supports you need to get over from the injury and start your life again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minor injury guideline?
The Minor Injury Guideline (MIG) is a component of the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) and is intended to assist insurers in how they cover accident victims for goods and services if their injuries fall under the MIG’s parameters.
What injuries are considered minor?
Contusion or swelling, sprain or twist, Strain, whiplash associated disorder, laceration or wound, abrasion, clinically associated sequelae are some injuries considered minor.
What are three minor injuries?
Contusion, Sprain, and Strain are three minor injuries.
Is a concussion considered a minor injury?
If a concussion is diagnosed well by the doctor and the report says that the diseases need long-term treatment, then a concussion will not be considered a minor injury.
What is functional restoration?
Functional restoration refers to the program that aims to increase physical function, pain management skills, and a productive lifestyle.