In the Event of An Automobile Accident

At the scene:
Try to keep calm.
Offer assistance to anyone injured.
If the accident is an emergency, call 911 and follow instructions given to you.


USE 911 FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY!!!
In Ontario, all personal injury accidents and all accidents resulting in property damage of $1,000 or higher must be reported to the police. A number of locations have special programs in place. Toronto, for example, has Collision Reporting Centres and accidents must be reported in person to these Centres within 24 hours, if police did not attend the accident scene. Find out what is required where you live, and keep this information in your glove box.

Remove vehicles out of traffic, if possible. Do not drive the vehicle unless it is safe to do so.

Record details of the accident - how, when, where it happened, time, date, location, speed, weather and road conditions.

Draw sketch of the accident scene noting the position and direction of the vehicles and cross streets.

Keep a camera in your vehicle and take photos of your damage and the damage to the other vehicle(s). This can be helpful if someone is trying to claim other damage or there is a dispute as to what happened.

Answer police questions honestly but make no comments or admit any blame for the accident to the other driver(s). Your insurance company will determine fault based on the "Fault Determination Rules" regulated by the Ontario Government.

Get names, addresses, telephone, licence and plate numbers and insurance details from any parties involved.

Note the badge numbers of the investigating police officers, if police attended the scene.

Get the names, addresses and telephone numbers from witnesses, when possible. It is also helpful to jot down licence plate numbers of other vehicles if you think someone in them might have seen the accident, however with moving traffic this is not often possible.

Be careful of tow truck operators pressuring you to authorize repairs at the scene. You have the right to request fees in advance. If you feel you are being pressured, ask police for the name of an authorized tow truck and have your vehicle towed to the police compound or your driveway until you talk to your insurance company.

Later:
If police were not at the scene, all accidents resulting in property damage of $1,000 or more must be reported to them. If there isn't a Collision Reporting Centre in the area of the accident, call the local police station for guidance. Often they will ask you to go to the nearest police station to report.

Even though you attended a Collision Reporting Centre, report the accident to your insurance company or broker as soon as possible. They will explain the coverage provided by your automobile policy and start handling your claim.

If you are injured in the accident, your company will provide you with a package of accident benefits claims forms which must be completed to start your benefits.

Many insurance companies have a list of preferred body shops who will complete proper repairs to your vehicle. Your insurance adjuster or broker/agent can assist you with finding a good one in your area.

Your Ontario automobile policy entitles you to have repairs done with parts of similar kind and quality. In other words, your car should be repaired to a similar condition that it was in prior to the accident. If you do not feel that your vehicle was repaired properly, report your concerns to your insurance adjuster immediately.

Reporting a Collision to the Police

The Highway Traffic Act requires any person involved in a motor vehicle collision to:

• report the collision to the nearest police officer
• remain at the collision scene for the purposes of offering assistance when needed
• provide insurance information, driver's licence number, name, address, the plate number and the name and address of the registered owner of the vehicle to a police officer and to any person involved in the collision.

By law, all collisions must be reported to the police if there are any personal injuries or fatalities, and where the damage to all vehicles is more than $1,000.

The penalty for failing to report a collision and/or failing to provide the necessary information is a fine of $200 to $1,000, three demerit points, a possible jail term and driver's licence suspension. The penalty for leaving the scene of a collision includes seven demerit points.

The police are required by law to investigate all reportable motor vehicle collisions and to provide a report to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles (MTO).