‘Huge relief’: SGI to cover some medical costs of Sask. paramedics hit by car in Vegas

WATCH: After a Vegas car crash, two Saskatchewan paramedics are home recovering, with SGI covering part of their medical bills.

After being hit by a car while on vacation in Las Vegas, paramedics Katrine Sinclair and Charlie Lastowsky are back in Saskatchewan recovering from their injuries.

“We took the air ambulance and we landed at the airport in Saskatoon,” said Roberta Sinclair, Katrine’s mother. “And then we went from an ambulance in Saskatoon to the RUH here in Saskatoon. And we’re still here.”

Sinclair says the local police investigation ruled it as an accident. She says she’s relieved that the driver had insurance, and stopped at the scene of the collision.

“The girls were across a crosswalk, but there was some speed involved and it was dark. So honestly, they wrapped it up to an accident.”

Sinclair says the air ambulance bill was around $63,000 CAD, the injuries and trauma response was around $142,000. But through different people reaching out, she learned that SGI may cover some of the expenses.

“I never would have imagined SGI would have been a resource for us because we weren’t driving a vehicle, we weren’t in Saskatchewan,” she said. “But it looks promising.”

While SGI couldn’t comment on specific cases out of privacy, it says most Saskatchewan residents have no fault insurance, as it’s the default insurance in the province.

“Tort insurance is available, but you must elect this coverage, and less than one per cent of Saskatchewan residents opt for this type of coverage.

Auto injury coverage is provided to every Saskatchewan resident injured by a vehicle anywhere in Canada or the United States, even if they don’t hold a driver’s licence or register a vehicle in Saskatchewan. This includes if you’re a pedestrian and are involved in a motor vehicle collision,“ SGI said in a statement.

SGI says no fault injury coverage includes benefits of income replacement, living assistance, or expenses related to the injuries sustained in the collision. 

“If you need medical attention outside of Saskatchewan, you may be covered for things like getting an ambulance or staying in the hospital. It may also cover travel expenses to help you get home. Those who are injured and need to begin a benefits claim with SGI should contact the SGI Call Centre (1-844-855-2744),” SGI statement read.

While Sinclair says it appears some expenses will be covered here in Canada, it’s unclear what the situation is with the U.S. costs.

“In regards to the U.S. fees and U.S. medical expenses, nothing about that has been confirmed,” she said. “We are still researching that, but just the knowledge that SGI insurance may be a resource has been a huge relief. And I don’t think very many people know about that.”

Sinclair says the GoFundMe campaign which raised more than $91,000 will be closed. The money raised will be split between both girls for their recovery.

“The GoFundMe really took a lot of stress off,” said Sinclair. “So I want to thank everyone for that and be really transparent about the fees.”