VANCOUVER — After encouraging reform in Ontario, the Alexandria, Va.-based Truck Renting Leasing Association is now seeking changes in unlimited vicarious liability laws in British Columbia as well.

TRALA and its are working with an international coalition to seek the introduction of legislation that would reform unlimited vicarious liability laws in British Columbia,

Currently, owners of rented and leased vehicles can be subject to unlimited liability without fault in the province. This liability is based solely on the ownership of the vehicle involved in an accident, even if there is no allegation of wrongdoing or negligence on the part of the renting and leasing company, says TRALA, which is asking B.C. Minister of Transportation and Solicitor General John Les to introduce legislation that would either eliminate vicarious liability or cap liability with a solution similar to the TRALA-sought reform passed in Ontario in 2006.

Owners of rented and leased trucks can be
subject to unlimited liability without fault in B.C.

Ontario froze vicarious liability for owners of rented and leased vehicles at $1 million. That exposure is also reduced by any amount recovered from the actual operator of the vehicle, whose insurance becomes primary under the proposal.

B.C. was one of only a handful of North American jurisdictions which holds the owner of a vehicle vicariously liable for the actions of the operator of the rented vehicle.

TRALA has asked that this new law apply to both cars and trucks leased or rented under either commercial or consumer agreements.

TRALA and its Industry Council members own more than 3,000 trucks operating in B.C. under commercial lease or rental agreements, and more than 17,500 cars and trucks available for rent to the general public.??For more information on this effort, contact TRALA’s Tom James at tjames@trala.org or 703-299-9120.