Ontario has a “no-fault” car insurance system, but this does not mean that no one is at fault in an accident. The term “no-fault” insurance simply means if you are injured or your car is damaged in an accident, then you deal with your own insurance company, regardless of who is at fault.

If a passenger in your vehicle is injured in an auto accident and they have their own auto insurance then their auto policy will pay the Accident Benefits for their injuries. However, if they do not have their own auto policy then your company will pay Accident Benefits for the passenger. The other driver will claim any Accidents benefits under their own policy.

Even if neither party is charged by police someone is always considered at fault. Insurance companies use the “ Fault Determination rules” to determine fault and will charge the policy accordingly.

Your percentage of fault in an accident will determine what deductible you are required to pay. 50% at fault means you pay 50% of your deductible. Premiums will most likely increase if you are deemed even partially at fault for an accident

If you don’t agree with the way in which your insurance company has determined fault, you should contact the person your insurance company has appointed to deal with consumer complaints. This is usually the company’s Ombudsman Liaison Officer. If you are still not satisfied with your insurance company’s position, you may choose to go to court.

As much as the insurer is willing to sell you. Most companies will sell up to $2,000,000 on an auto policy. The difference in premium is usually only around $25.00 or less to go from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. We strongly recommend that all of our clients purchase $2,000,000 liability.

All auto policies must include the following basic coverages to legally be allowed to operate the vehicle on Ontario Roads:

Statutory Accident Benefits

• This covers your medical expenses and provides you with income replacement benefits if you are injured in a car accident, no matter who is at fault in the accident.

Third-Party Liability of at least $200,000

• This protects you if you are sued because you or anyone else driving your car injures someone else or damages someone else’s property.

Direct Compensation-Property Damage

• This protects you if someone else causes damage to your car and its contents. It is called direct compensation because you collect directly from your insurer.

Uninsured Automobile Coverage

• This covers you if you are injured or killed by an uninsured motorist or by a hit-and-run driver. It also protects you if an identified uninsured motorist causes damage to your car or its contents.

While the above coverages are what you must buy at the very least, you can choose to buy extra coverage to get extra protection.

Rates are determined based  on a vehicle’s claims experience and statistics such as cost of repairs, and accident benefits claims as well as frequency of theft. Other factors that determine premiums are driving record, age, location, and distance travelled on a regular basis.

We will always work with you to find ways to save you money on your car insurance.  Some examples of changes we can make may include

Higher Deductibles:  In most cases by increasing your deductible your premium will decrease. 

Discounts:  There are  many discounts available on auto insurance policies.  Not everyone qualifies for all discounts but we will work with you to find the discounts that suit you and your policy.

No. Your car policy covers you for incidents occurring in Canada, the US and on a vessel travelling between ports of those countries.

As per the Ontario Auto Policy a newly acquired vehicle is covered automatically up to 14 days but will only be covered for the same coverage you currently have on your automobile policy.  For example:  If you don’t carry collision on your current vehicle and you purchase a brand new vehicle and do not notify us before picking it up you won’t have collision coverage on the newly acquired vehicle until you notify us of the vehicle change.  It is highly recommended that you touch base with a broker in our office before picking up any new vehicle to ensure you have the proper coverage in place.

In most cases one minor conviction won’t affect your insurance rates, however this could depend on your age and license status. A underage driver will be affected differently than someone who has a full G license and has been driving for many years. A driver with 2 or more convictions will be considered high risk and will see an increase in their premiums.

If someone else drives your vehicle and gets into an accident it will be your insurance premiums that are affected.