Ontario Accident Benefits Explained: What’s covered under auto insurance?

What coverage can you get?

Some benefits are built right into your auto insurance policy, while others are available at an additional cost. You can choose the level of protection that best suits your family and you. Coverages include: 

Mandatory Coverage

• Standard Medical and Rehabilitation: Covers medical care, diagnostic tests, ongoing therapy, and even home or vehicle modifications.

• Attendant Care: Helps pay for personal care at home or in a long-term care facility if injuries make daily tasks difficult

Optional Coverages 

• Income Replacement: Replaces part of your income if accident-related injuries prevent you from working.

• Non-Earner Benefit: Provides weekly payments if you do not have any employment income and your injuries prevent you from carrying out normal activities.

• Caregiver Benefit: Covers costs for someone to care for dependants if you are unable to do so due to an injury. 

• Dependant Care Benefit: Optional coverage that helps employed individuals cover extra childcare or caregiving costs during recovery.

• Housekeeping and Home Maintenance: Assists with tasks like cleaning or yard work if injuries prevent you from doing them.

• Death Benefits: Provides a lump sum payment to surviving family members.

• Funeral Benefits: Helps to cover the funeral costs of someone who passes away due to a motor vehicle accident.

• Damage to Personal Items: Helps to cover the cost to repair or replace personal items damaged in an accident i.e. prescription eyewear, clothing, etc.

• Lost Educational Expenses: Helps to cover costs you’ve lost if you cannot attend school or an education program due to accident-related injuries.

• Indexation: Certain weekly benefit payments and monetary limits will be adjusted on an annual basis to reflect changes in the cost of living.

Understanding Injury Categories

Every accident is different, and so is every injury. To make sure you get the right kind of support, auto insurance groups injuries into three categories, based on severity: minor, non-catastrophic, and catastrophic.

1. Minor injuries Even a “minor” injury like a sprain, strain, or whiplash can disrupt daily life. Under Ontario’s Minor Injury Guideline, minor injuries are covered for up to $3,500 in Medical and Rehabilitation expenses.

2. Non-catastrophic injuries More serious injuries like broken bones, concussions or psychological trauma may qualify for up to $65,000 in combined Medical and Attendant Care benefits. You can increase this limit for additional support during recovery.

3. Catastrophic injuries Life-altering injuries, such as paralysis or severe brain trauma, may qualify for up to $1 million in benefits. You can increase the coverage for even greater protection. A formal medical assessment is required to confirm this classification.

Support That Helps Ontarians Move Forward

Accident Benefits offer more than financial support; they provide care, confidence, and peace of mind while recovering after a motor vehicle accident. If you’re unsure about what coverage is available to you, chat with a Licensed Insurance Agent or Broker, who can help clarify what’s included in your policy and any upgrades available, ensuring you have access to the right support when you need it most.  

Every recovery journey is unique, and understanding coverage ahead of time allows people to focus on what’s important: getting healthy and returning to their daily routine.   

Visit our other blogs here or browse the site to learn more about accident benefits including our needs assessment tool that can help you decide what coverages you might need.

This content is intended to provide general information only and is not intended to provide legal or professional advice, or to be relied on in any dispute, claim, action, demand or proceeding. CAA Insurance Company does not accept liability for any damage or injury resulting from reliance on this information.