A vehicle impact is disorienting. Whether a driver hit your building at 2 a.m. or it happened in broad daylight, what you do in the next 24 hours directly affects your safety, your ICBC claim, and how quickly your building gets secured and repaired. Follow these steps in order.
The 24-Hour Checklist
- Make sure everyone is safe first. If anyone is injured — inside the vehicle or in the building — call 911 immediately. Do not move injured people unless there is an immediate danger such as fire or a collapsing structure.
- Do not enter the garage until you know it is safe. A vehicle impact can shift a door frame, crack a header, or compromise a load-bearing wall. If you hear creaking, see visible bowing, or the structure looks off-plumb, stay out and keep others out. See our guide on structural red flags to check after a vehicle impact.
- Call the police and get a report number. In Metro Vancouver, call the non-emergency RCMP or Vancouver Police line, or 911 if the driver has fled. You need an official police report number to open an ICBC third-party property damage claim. ICBC will ask for it before processing.
- Photograph and video everything before touching anything. Walk a complete circuit around the damage — inside and outside. Capture the vehicle position if it is still present, the full opening, every panel, the frame, the tracks, the header, and the floor. Wide shots and close-ups. This is your most important record. If ICBC disputes the scope of damage later, this documentation is your evidence.
- Get the at-fault driver’s information. Name, driver’s licence number, licence plate, ICBC insurance card details, and contact information. If they have fled, give the plate number to police.
- Call ICBC to open a claim. ICBC’s Lower Mainland claims line is (604) 520-8222, available 24 hours. Tell them a vehicle struck your property. They will assign a claim number — write it down. Every contractor and adjuster you speak to will need it. If the at-fault driver is insured in BC, ICBC handles the third-party property claim on their behalf.
- Secure the opening right away. An exposed garage is a weather and security risk. If the door will not close, call a contractor for emergency board-up. Do not leave the opening exposed overnight. Emergency securing is treated as a mitigation cost under most ICBC property claims.
- Do not start structural repairs before the claim is open. ICBC adjusters need to see the damage in its original state. Beginning structural work before an adjuster has documented the site can complicate your settlement or reduce what ICBC pays.
- Get a written, itemized estimate. Ask for a full scope: door panels, tracks, operator, header, framing, and any structural elements. ICBC pays actual cash value with depreciation — not full replacement cost. A detailed, itemized estimate is your best tool for limiting the depreciation gap.
- Use one contractor for the full scope. One team managing securing, structural coordination, door reinstall, and claim documentation prevents billing disputes and scope gaps between contractors.
How ICBC Property Claims Work in BC
When a third-party BC driver hits your property, ICBC is responsible for restoring it to pre-loss condition on behalf of the at-fault driver. But they pay actual cash value — depreciation is applied based on the age and condition of what was damaged. A ten-year-old door may carry significant depreciation. That gap comes out of your pocket unless your contractor’s estimate documents the full scope thoroughly.
If you drove your own vehicle into your own garage, that is a home insurance claim, not ICBC. Your vehicle damage is a separate ICBC claim only if you carry optional Collision coverage.
Ready to Secure and Repair?
CCGDS handles emergency board-up, structural coordination, door reinstall, and claim documentation across Richmond, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Delta, and the Lower Mainland — 24 hours a day. Call (604) 206-5727.
Related: Vehicle Impact Garage Repair — Metro Vancouver | Will ICBC Pay to Fix My Building? | Emergency Board-Up & Securing
