Report the collision to your own insurer within the required period, get medically assessed even if you feel able to walk away, and record what happened while it is fresh. Ontario accident benefit deadlines begin running immediately.
Get assessed even if you feel fine
Adrenaline masks injury, and some of the most serious consequences of a collision appear days later. Concussion symptoms in particular are frequently delayed.
A gap between the collision and the first medical record is the first thing an adjuster points at. Being seen is both medical care and evidence.
Tell your own insurer
This is a separate step from any claim against the other driver, and it runs on a short deadline. Reporting opens the accident benefits file that funds treatment.
Since July 2026 it is also the moment to establish what optional coverage the policy carries.
Record what you can, now
Photographs of vehicle positions, damage, the road and any signage. Names and numbers of witnesses, who become impossible to find later. The other driver's insurance details and the police report number.
Nearby footage from businesses, dashcams and transit vehicles is often overwritten within days, so it needs to be requested immediately.
Be careful what you say
Say what happened. Do not speculate about fault, and do not apologise reflexively at the scene, which people do out of politeness and which is later characterised as an admission.
If the other insurer calls asking for a recorded statement, you are entitled to get advice before giving one.
Deadlines that apply to you
These are the dates that end claims. Check them first.
Tell your own auto insurer about the collision as soon as you reasonably can, and no later than seven days.
Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, O. Reg. 34/10, s. 32(1)
Once the insurer sends you the application package, the completed application for accident benefits (the OCF-1) is due back within 30 days.
Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, O. Reg. 34/10, s. 32(5)
In most Ontario claims you have two years from the day you knew, or ought to have known, that you had a claim.
Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, Sched. B, s. 4
Questions we get every week
No, but see a doctor now and be clear about when the symptoms started. The gap is explainable, but it needs explaining.
You are entitled to get advice first. There is no obligation to give a recorded statement to another party's insurer immediately.
It makes independent evidence more important, but many valid claims proceed without a police report.
Where this applies
Car Accidents
After a car accident in Ontario you usually have two separate claims running at the same time: accident benefits from your own insurer regardless of who caused the crash, and a claim against the driver at fault.
Read moreAccident Benefits
Accident benefits are paid by your own auto insurer regardless of who caused the collision.
Read moreTraumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury can be severe and permanent while every scan comes back normal.
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