Ontario legal information · Sources appear with each important rule
What to do in the first days
Safety and treatment come first. If the collision involves injuries, Ottawa Police directs people to call 911. For a non-injury collision where vehicles remain driveable, police may direct drivers to a Collision Reporting Centre.1
Keep four records together
- The police or collision-reporting information
- Photos, witness details and insurance information
- Symptoms, appointments and changes in daily function
- Missed work, expenses and help provided by family
Report the claim to your own automobile insurer promptly. Ontario’s standard policy and accident-benefits regulation control different parts of the insurance response.23
Understand the two main claim paths
Accident benefits are claimed through an automobile insurer and can respond regardless of who caused the crash. The available benefits depend on the policy, the date it was entered into or renewed, and the person’s circumstances.
A liability claim seeks damages from a person legally responsible for the collision. It can address losses that accident benefits do not fully cover, but fault and Ontario’s statutory rules must be considered.
Evidence should connect the injury to real function
A diagnosis is one part of the picture. A useful file also explains what the person could do before the collision, what has changed, which treatments were recommended and how work or family responsibilities have been affected.
Symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response
Mobility, sleep, concentration, self-care and daily tasks
Job demands, absence, modified work and lost opportunities
Paid expenses and unpaid care provided by others
Do not let an internal process hide a legal deadline
Ontario’s basic limitation period is generally two years from when a claim is discovered, but discoverability is fact-specific and other notice periods or deadlines may apply.5 A collision date alone is not a safe substitute for legal advice about the actual deadline.
If an accident-benefits insurer denies a benefit, disputes are generally handled through the Licence Appeal Tribunal’s Automobile Accident Benefits Service. Its rules and forms should be checked promptly.6
How a personal injury lawyer may use this information.
General information explains the framework. Legal advice should connect that framework to the event, the people and insurers involved, the available records and the deadlines in the individual claim.
- Identify who may be responsible and which policies or benefits may respond.
- Build the medical, functional, financial and event evidence around disputed issues.
- Protect notices and deadlines and explain the available next steps.
Sources and legal references
The numbered footnotes link to the official sources used on this page.
View 6 sources
- Ottawa Police Service — Collision reporting
When to call 911, when to use a Collision Reporting Centre and what to bring.
Back to footnote ↑ - FSRA — Ontario Automobile Policy (OAP 1), 2026
The current standard Ontario automobile policy form.
Back to footnote ↑ - Ontario — Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, O. Reg. 34/10
The regulation governing statutory accident benefits, including July 2026 transition rules.
Back to footnote ↑ - FSRA — Accident-benefits coverage changes from July 1, 2026
Consumer and industry explanation of mandatory and optional benefit changes.
Back to footnote ↑ - Ontario — Limitations Act, 2002
The basic limitation period and discoverability framework in sections 4 and 5.
Back to footnote ↑ - Tribunals Ontario — LAT Automobile Accident Benefits Service
The tribunal process for disputes about statutory accident benefits.
Back to footnote ↑