Pursuant to Ontario’s Insurance Act, a standard Ontario auto insurance policy provides insured drivers with benefits if they are injured in car, truck or bus accidents, regardless of who caused the accident.
Part 1 of this article discussed medical and rehabilitation care benefits injured drivers and passengers may receive from their car insurance companies after car, truck or bus accidents in Kingston, Ottawa or Whitby, Ontario.
Other Benefits Injured Car Accident Victims can Claim Pursuant to Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS)
In addition to medical and rehabilitation care benefits, injured drivers and passengers may also receive other benefits pursuant to the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) under the Ontario Insurance Act. Some other benefits include:
- income replacement benefits,
- caregiver benefits,
- reimbursement for housekeeping and home maintenance, and
- in the event of death, death and funeral benefits.
Injured drivers/passengers who were not working at the time of the accident may also be eligible to receive non-earners benefits pursuant to SABS.
Income Replacement Benefits in Serious Car Accident Cases
Other than medical and rehabilitation care benefits, injured car accident victims may also receive income replacement benefits, i.e., lost pay or wage loss benefits.
After serious car, bus or truck accidents, injured drivers/passengers often worry about their financial situations if they cannot work due to the catastrophic injuries sustained in the motor vehicle accidents. If they are the bread winners in their families, injured drivers/passengers may worry about how they will provide for their families.
Though income replacement benefits may compensate car accident victims for their lost income, it is important to note that income replacement benefits do not fully compensate the injured drivers/passengers’ income loss.
Under the SABS, an eligible injured driver/passenger may be entitled to 70% of his/her gross income, with a maximum of $400 per week, for the first 104 weeks if he/she is substantially unable to perform the essential tasks of his/her job.
Thereafter, injured drivers/passengers may continue to receive the income replacement benefits so long as they are continuously disabled and prevented from working at any job that they are reasonably qualified for by education, training and experience.
It is important to note that after a car accident, injured drivers/passengers need to contact their car insurance companies within 7 days of the accident to report the accident, or they may not be able to file benefits claims.
Help After an Accident in Kingston, Ottawa or Whitby, Ontario
If you were injured in a car, bus or truck accident in Ontario, the personal injury car accident lawyers at Bergeron Clifford can help. The lawyers at Bergeron Clifford have 40 years of experience representing injured clients and their loved ones. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your motor vehicle accident and injury, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-866-384-5886.