Accident benefits are insurance benefits available to people injured in motor vehicle accidents in Ontario, regardless of who caused the accident. These benefits are governed by the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, known as SABS.

They may help pay for treatment, rehabilitation, income replacement, attendant care, transportation, assistive devices, and other injury related expenses, depending on the coverage available and the facts of the claim.

No. Accident benefits are part of Ontario's no fault automobile insurance system. You may still qualify for benefits even if you caused the accident.

A separate lawsuit against an at fault driver may also be available depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Accident benefits are usually paid by your own automobile insurance company. If you do not have insurance, coverage may still be available through another policy connected to the accident.

Determining which insurer is responsible can be complicated, especially in cases involving passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, company vehicles, uninsured drivers, or hit and run accidents.

There are important deadlines after a motor vehicle accident. You should notify the insurance company as soon as possible and complete the required application forms promptly.

Missing deadlines can create problems with the claim. If you are unsure what forms must be filed or what insurer should receive them, get legal advice quickly.

Accident benefits claims may involve several standard forms, including the application for accident benefits, disability certificate, employer confirmation form, expenses claim form, treatment and assessment plan, catastrophic impairment application, and attendant care assessment forms.

The forms required depend on the benefits being claimed and the facts of the case.

You may still have options. Insurance companies sometimes deny treatment plans by arguing that treatment is not reasonable or necessary.

A lawyer can help gather medical evidence, obtain support from treatment providers, respond to the denial, and pursue the dispute through the appropriate process, including the Licence Appeal Tribunal if necessary.

Yes. Accident benefits are separate from a personal injury lawsuit against the at fault driver.

Accident benefits may provide access to treatment and support regardless of fault. A lawsuit may seek compensation for pain and suffering, income loss, future care, and other damages not fully covered by accident benefits.

A catastrophic impairment designation recognizes very serious injuries that significantly affect a person's functioning. This designation may increase the amount of accident benefits available for medical treatment, rehabilitation, attendant care, and future care.

Catastrophic impairment may be relevant in cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe orthopaedic injuries, amputations, blindness, psychological impairments, chronic pain, or multiple serious injuries.

Yes, if your injuries prevent you from working, you may qualify for income replacement benefits, depending on the coverage available, your employment status, your medical evidence, and the effect of the injuries on your ability to work.

Income replacement disputes often require medical records, employment records, tax documents, disability certificates, and vocational evidence.

For policies entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2026, income replacement coverage may be optional rather than automatically included. This means the availability of income replacement benefits may depend on the policy, the optional coverage purchased, the date of the accident, and the applicable SABS rules.

Anyone injured after July 1, 2026 should have the policy reviewed carefully.

Attendant care benefits may help pay for assistance with personal care and daily activities after an accident. This can include help with bathing, dressing, mobility, transfers, supervision, medication management, and other personal care needs.

These care needs are part of why Oatley Vigmond built its Total Care Network, connecting legal advocacy with treatment access, rehabilitation planning, accident benefits support, and long term care coordination.

Attendant care is often important in serious injury cases, including brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopaedic injury, amputation, and catastrophic impairment claims.

Pedestrians and cyclists injured in motor vehicle accidents may still qualify for accident benefits. You do not need to be inside a vehicle to apply for benefits after a motor vehicle accident.

These claims can involve complicated priority rules about which insurer should respond.

Insurance companies sometimes argue that injuries fall within the Minor Injury Guideline. This can limit access to treatment funding.

You may still have options if your injuries are more serious than the insurer accepts. Medical evidence, treatment records, psychological evidence, functional limitations, chronic pain evidence, or concussion evidence may help challenge the insurer's position.

Yes. Anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress, driving fear, sleep problems, and other psychological injuries may form part of an accident benefits claim if they are connected to the accident and supported by medical evidence.

Psychological injuries can affect treatment needs, work capacity, daily functioning, and catastrophic impairment assessment.

An insurer examination is an assessment arranged by the insurance company. The insurer may use it to decide whether benefits should be approved, continued, reduced, or denied.

Insurer examinations can affect treatment funding, income replacement benefits, attendant care, and catastrophic impairment applications. It is important to understand the purpose of the assessment and respond carefully to unfair conclusions.

The Licence Appeal Tribunal, Automobile Accident Benefits Service, hears disputes about statutory accident benefits in Ontario.

If an insurer denies benefits, disputes the amount payable, rejects treatment, terminates income replacement, or disputes catastrophic impairment, the injured person may be able to bring the dispute to LAT AABS.

Important evidence may include medical records, treatment plans, disability certificates, employment records, tax documents, rehabilitation reports, attendant care assessments, insurer correspondence, pain journals, receipts, expert assessments, and witness information.

The evidence needed depends on the benefit being claimed and the reason for the insurer's denial.

A lawyer can help if benefits are denied, delayed, reduced, terminated, or disputed. Legal representation may be especially important in catastrophic impairment claims, complex medical cases, income replacement disputes, attendant care disputes, Minor Injury Guideline disputes, and LAT proceedings.

Oatley Vigmond's accident benefits team helps clients gather evidence, deal with insurers, pursue treatment funding, and protect the larger personal injury claim.

The value of an accident benefits claim depends on the severity of the injuries, the available insurance coverage, the benefits claimed, the date of the accident, the policy terms, future care needs, income loss, and the long term impact on daily life.

For serious and catastrophic injuries, accident benefits can be worth a substantial amount because they may fund long term treatment, rehabilitation, and attendant care.

The timeline depends on the injuries, treatment process, insurer position, medical evidence, and whether disputes arise. Some claims resolve quickly. Others involving serious injuries, denied benefits, income replacement disputes, or catastrophic impairment may continue for years.

What matters most is that the claim is properly documented and not resolved before the full impact of the injuries is understood.