Frequently asked questions.

According to Ontario law, you must report an accident to your local Collision Reporting Centre within 24 hours. However, if anyone is injured in the accident or the damage to the vehicles involved appears to exceed $2,000, then you are required to notify the police immediately. Visit accsupport.com to locate the Collision Reporting Centre nearest you.

You must inform your insurance provider as soon as possible if it appears that the total damage to the vehicles involved exceeds $2,000. You must also report the accident if someone is injured or if it involves a driver who doesn’t have auto insurance.

After an accident, it’s important for you to get complete information from the other party or parties involved. Information obtained should include:

• All vehicle information
• License plate numbers
• All names, addresses and phone numbers
• Driver’s licence numbers for all drivers involved in the accident
• The location of the accident (e.g. major intersections)
• Police information (if they attended the scene)

If the police attend the scene, it’s reasonable to assume that they will secure much of the above information. It’s important that you get the officer’s name, badge number and report number so that your insurance provider can obtain the police report. While most information will be recorded by police, it’s prudent to get as much of the above information as possible for your own records. If your insurance provider needs to order a police report, it can take as long as eight weeks to arrive.

No-fault insurance means that when two or more drivers are involved in an accident, each person’s respective insurance company handles their claims. This means that you will only deal with your own auto insurance provider for benefits resulting from injuries or for damages to your vehicle after an accident, regardless of who caused it. Despite the name “no-fault insurance,” your insurance company will still investigate the accident. To determine who was responsible, insurance companies use the Fault Determination Rules set out in the Ontario Insurance Act.

An insurance claim report is a document prepared by your claims adjuster that covers the details of your claim. This report includes comprehensive information about the loss, including a description of it, the cause of it and the amount of your claim based on your specific insurance coverage.

In Ontario, filing a claim for a car accident will most likely increase your premiums for a period of three to five years. There are several factors that can determine the amount of the increase, including the amount and type of the claim, your driving record and claims history, where you live and whether your policy includes accident forgiveness.

When you file an insurance claim, the deductible is shown on your Certificate of Automobile Insurance. It’s the amount of money that you, as the policyholder, are responsible for paying. Insurance companies use deductibles to share the cost of any claims with the policyholder. For example, if it costs $5,000 to repair your vehicle and your deductible is $500, you are responsible for paying the first $500 to the repair shop. Your insurance provider will pay the rest of the eligible costs.

Some elements of coverage do not have a deductible. For example, if you’re involved in an accident in Ontario involving another vehicle and the driver of the vehicle has valid insurance and is found to be at fault, you will typically not be required to pay a deductible.

Your insurance company will look at many factors when calculating the cost of your premium, including the following:

• Your driving record, including any accidents or driving convictions
• Where you live
• The type of vehicle you drive
• Your driving history, age and gender
• How you use your vehicle (whether you drive it to work, use it for business or commercial use or for pleasure only)
• The number of kilometres you drive in a year

There are many easy ways to help you lower the cost of your auto insurance. Here are some examples:

• Bundle your insurance needs – auto and home, for example. Here’s a tip: Bundling your Auto and Home Insurance through CAA can save you up to 22.5%¹.
• Driving less means you’re adding fewer kilometres to your car. Explore CAA MyPace™, Canada’s only pay-as-you-go insurance payment program for low-mileage drivers.
• Drive responsibly and make sure to maintain a clean driving record from year to year.
• Ask your CAA Insurance Agent or Broker to lower your insurance premium.
• Do you have any memberships or affiliations that can save you money on auto insurance? Here’s a tip: While you don’t have to be a CAA Member to get CAA Auto Insurance, CAA Members save up to 20% on auto insurance2. This is in addition to all kinds of valuable Member-exclusive benefits and perks.

In Ontario, your car insurance generally covers your car, not the person who’s driving it. So, anyone with a valid licence who drives your car is technically covered by your auto insurance policy. For example, if you lend your car to your neighbour and they have an at-fault accident, your insurance will cover the losses. However, the cost of your premiums may also increase. If your neighbour has their own insurance policy that covers this type of loss, their insurance would be used – instead of yours – to cover the cost of the losses.

Comprehensive insurance does not generally cover items stolen from your vehicle. It will cover the theft of your vehicle or its equipment, such as an aftermarket GPS system or a child’s car seat. Comprehensive insurance will provide coverage for repair costs resulting from break-in damages to your vehicle. Liability insurance protects against bodily injury and property damage resulting from an accident.

If you have the OPCF 27 – also known as the Legal Liability for Damage to Non-Owned Automobiles clause – you are covered when driving vehicles that you don’t own, including rental cars. In this case, if you cause an accident while driving the rental car, your liability insurance would pay up to your policy limits for the damages done to other cars or property. If you aren’t sure whether you have OPCF 27, speak with your CAA Insurance Agent or Broker before renting a vehicle.