The Alberta government has quietly released draft regulations tied to its controversial no-fault auto insurance plan — and critics are calling it an “alarming” and “dehumanizing” system that puts fixed dollar values on devastating injuries, including pregnancy loss.The so-called Permanent Injury Regulation, unveiled just before Thanksgiving weekend, introduces what insiders call a “meat chart” — a pre-set schedule that assigns flat payouts for permanent injuries, replacing the current system that allows victims to pursue compensation through the courts.According to the draft rules, a miscarriage under 20 weeks caused by a car crash would be worth $13,234, while loss of colour vision is valued at $945. A moderate traumatic brain injury that could permanently impair a person’s ability to work is capped as low as $37,811.“This chart literally puts a price tag on the human body in a way Albertans will find absurd,” said Owen Lewis of the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association. “If you lose a pregnancy, Alberta says it’s worth $13,000. That’s an insult.”Even more troubling, Lewis says, is that victims must first get approval from insurers before any payout is issued — effectively giving insurance companies full discretion over whether an injury even qualifies as “permanent.”“This is a no-fault system where government predetermines what injuries are worth, and insurers decide who qualifies to be paid at all,” Lewis said.The proposed regulation follows the passage of Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance Act, earlier this year. The law, set to take full effect in January 2027, eliminates the right to sue for pain and suffering, replacing it with a fixed benefits model that critics say will overwhelmingly benefit the insurance industry — not injured Albertans.Even the system’s promised financial benefits are in doubt. When no-fault was first pitched in 2024, Albertans were told it would result in $400 per year in premium savings. Now, both the Insurance Bureau of Canada and the Alberta government have admitted those savings won’t materialize.“This is an alarming scenario where insurance companies get everything they want, Albertans get no premium savings, and we’re valuing $13,000 for the loss of a child,” said Lewis.Critics argue the values are both medically and morally arbitrary — and don’t reflect the realities of a person’s livelihood or emotional loss. One example cited by Lewis: a young tradesman who loses part of his hand in a crash would be eligible for just $41,592 — regardless of whether he could ever work in his field again.“It really doesn’t have to be this way,” Lewis added. “Even within a no-fault system, there are models that preserve fairness and dignity. The government and insurance industry have chosen one of the most extreme options.”The draft regulations are still open for review, and FAIR Alberta — a coalition of lawyers, doctors, crash survivors, and consumer advocates — is urging the province to reconsider before locking in the system.
