Alberta releases ‘alarming’ no-fault insurance regulations

Under proposed ‘meat chart’, compensation for loss of a pregnancy would be $13,000

EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alberta government has released draft regulations for its proposed no-fault auto insurance system, and FAIR Alberta has found they include what is commonly known in the insurance industry as a “meat chart” that assigns fixed dollar values to specific injuries ranging from the loss of an eye to the loss of a pregnancy.

The details are included in a proposed ‘Permanent Injury Regulation’ quietly released by the province just before the Thanksgiving weekend. Under the proposed rules, Albertans permanently injured in a collision would receive a pre-set payout based on the government’s chart, rather than having their individual cases assessed by a court.

Under the proposed schedule, Albertans losing a pregnancy under 20 weeks from a car accident would result in a payout of $13,234, losing colour vision would be worth $945, while a moderate traumatic brain injury that can permanently change cognition and employment capacity is valued as low as $38,000.

Injury victim advocates at the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association say the draft regulations are alarming and offensive to Albertans.

“This chart literally puts a price tag on the human body in a way Albertans will find absurd,” said Owen Lewis, spokesperson for the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association (ACTLA). “If you lose a pregnancy, Alberta says it’s worth $13,000. That’s an insult.”

Lewis also noted how the proposed regulation would fail to take into account individual circumstances of Albertans. For example, under the government’s proposed chart, a young journeyman mechanic who loses part of a hand in a collision would receive just $41,592.

“Imagine being a tradesperson who can never work with your hands again, and that’s all you get,” Lewis said.

Under the draft rules, even the fixed payouts aren’t automatic as insurers get the say on whether an injury is considered permanent.

“This is a no-fault system where government predetermines what injuries are worth, and insurers decide who qualifies to be paid at all,” said Lewis.

Even worse, Lewis says, is the fact that the Alberta government and the Insurance Bureau of Canada have admitted no-fault will not produce the promised $400 in premiums savings when the system was first announced in 2024.

“The Alberta government’s no-fault auto insurance system was sold to Albertans with the promise of $400 in annual savings, which they’ve now admitted won’t happen,” said Lewis. “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.”

Lewis says the only silver lining is that the regulations are currently in draft and there is still time for the Alberta government to change course.

“It really doesn’t have to be this way. Even within a no-fault framework, there are alternatives that can deliver savings and still protect Albertans who will get severely injured,” says Lewis. “The Alberta government and the insurance industry do not need to be this extreme. They can and should consider proposals that respect the rights and dignity of Albertans more.”

Further background on Alberta’s proposed regulations is below.

BACKGROUND: Alberta’s No-Fault Auto Insurance and the “Meat Chart”

In the spring of 2025, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance Act, to introduce a no-fault auto insurance system scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

A no-fault system eliminates a right to sue for pain and suffering when someone is injured in an accident. Instead, there is a benefits schedule for injuries, referred to as a “meat chart” in the insurance industry, that stipulates a dollar amount that will be paid for injuries resulting from an accident.

The draft Permanent Injury Regulation released by the Government of Alberta assigns a dollar value to each type of permanent injury. For most life-altering losses, the payouts are shockingly low.

EXAMPLES FROM THE GOVERNMENT’S DRAFT “MEAT CHART”

About FAIR Alberta
FAIR Alberta is a coalition of concerned consumers, medical professionals, Albertans who have had to fight insurance companies, and members of the legal community committed to protecting the rights of individuals that have been injured in motor vehicle accidents. 

Media Contact:
Shannon Greer
Shannon.greer@newwestpublicaffairs.ca

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