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Insuring Your Off-Road Vehicles

ATV’s, dirt-bikes and snowmobiles can be a lot of fun. They can also be very dangerous. Every year, thousands of people in Canada are injured while riding off-road vehicles. Tragically, some of these people find out after they are injured that they do not have insurance coverage to replace lost income and provide the care that they need.

It is not mandatory to insure an off-road vehicle that you only use on your property. If you drive an off-road vehicle on property other than your own, Ontario law requires that it be insured. Does this mean it is a good idea to save the cost of insurance if you plan to use your off-road vehicle only on your own property? The answer is no. Without insurance, you or a loved one injured in an off-road vehicle incident on your property will have no access to no-fault benefits to cover income loss and medical, rehabilitation and attendant care. Moreover, if someone is hurt by your off-road vehicle and brings a lawsuit against you, without insurance your personal assets will be at risk.

One oddity about our law is that even where your off-road vehicle is not insured, a person who is injured using it off your property may still have access to no-fault benefits from another insurer or a government fund. Anyone seriously injured in an off-road vehicle incident should consult with a personal injury lawyer to help sort out their rights.