After a car accident in Ontario, first make sure everyone is safe and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Then exchange details with the other driver, take photos, report to police when required, and tell your insurer promptly, even if you are unsure you will claim. Do not rush into repairs before your insurer has had a chance to look at the damage.
Key takeaways
- Safety comes first. Move to a safe place if you can, and call 911 for injuries or danger.
- Collect names, licence and plate numbers, insurer details, photos and witness contacts.
- Tell your insurer promptly. The Insurance Bureau of Canada advises reporting within a day or two.
- If you are hurt, ask about accident benefits right away because strict time limits apply.
- Check your policy before booking repairs or a rental car.
Step 1: Make everyone safe
A collision is stressful, and it is normal to feel shaky. Take a breath and work through the basics.
- Stop your vehicle. Leaving the scene of a collision is a serious offence.
- Check yourself and your passengers. If anyone is hurt, or you are not sure, call 911.
- If the cars can be driven and the spot is dangerous, such as a busy lane on a Toronto highway, move them to the shoulder or a nearby side street.
- Turn on your hazard lights. If you have reflective triangles or flares, use them.
- Stay out of traffic. Standing between cars or on a live lane is risky.
Even if you feel fine, some injuries show up hours or days later. Mention any pain or stiffness to a doctor, and tell your insurer about it too.
Step 2: Decide whether to call the police
You should call 911 or the police right away if:
- anyone is injured, or you are unsure whether they are,
- another driver seems impaired or behaves aggressively,
- the vehicles are blocking traffic and cannot be moved,
- a pedestrian or cyclist was involved, or public property was damaged,
- the other driver leaves or refuses to share their details.
For collisions that involve only vehicle damage, Ontario has used a dollar threshold to decide whether a report is required, and in some areas the report is made at a collision reporting centre rather than at the roadside. The amount and the process have changed over the years, so we do not quote a figure here. Check the current rule with your local police service before you decide, and when in doubt, report.
A police report is also useful for your claim. Your insurer may ask for the report number, so write it down along with the officer's name and badge number if police attend. In plain terms, a report is helpful evidence, but it does not decide fault by itself.
Step 3: Exchange information and record evidence
Once it is safe, gather what your insurer will need. The Insurance Bureau of Canada suggests recording:
- the date, time and exact location,
- the other driver's name, address, phone number and licence number,
- the other vehicle's plate number and registration,
- the other driver's insurance company and policy details (Ontario drivers carry a pink insurance slip, or an electronic copy),
- the names and phone numbers of passengers, injured people and witnesses,
- how the collision happened, plus road and weather conditions.
Take photos of all vehicles from several angles, the plates, the surrounding road, signs, signals and any skid marks or debris. Photos taken at the scene are often the most persuasive evidence later. A short note on your phone describing what happened, written while it is fresh, can also help.
Be polite and factual. You do not need to argue about who caused the crash, and it is wise to avoid guessing or apologizing in a way that could be read as an admission. Simply describe what you saw.
Step 4: Tell your insurer promptly
Contact your insurer or your broker as soon as you reasonably can. The Insurance Bureau of Canada advises reporting promptly, within a day or two, even if you are not sure you will make a claim. Your policy may also set its own notice requirements, and late notice can complicate a claim.
When you call, have this ready:
- your policy number,
- the details and photos you collected,
- the police report number, if there is one,
- a clear, factual account of what happened.
Your insurer will ask what occurred, work out fault, and ask you to complete a proof of loss, which is a form describing your claim. Keep copies of everything: photos, towing bills, receipts and the names of anyone you speak to.
Reporting an accident does not automatically mean your premium will rise. How a claim affects your rate depends on who was at fault and on your insurer. Our guide on how an at-fault accident affects your rates explains what insurers commonly look at.
Step 5: If you were injured, ask about accident benefits
In Ontario, statutory accident benefits help pay for certain costs after a crash whatever the fault, such as medical and rehabilitation treatment. These benefits are part of your own policy, and you claim them from your own insurer, not from the other driver's.
Two points are worth knowing:
- There are time limits. Accident benefits have strict notice and application deadlines. Do not wait to see whether an injury improves. Tell your insurer about the injury as soon as you can, and ask them in plain terms which forms you must complete and by when.
- Your coverage may differ. On 1 July 2026, medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits remained mandatory, while other benefits such as income replacement and caregiver benefits became optional to buy. What is on your policy depends on the choices made when it was bought or renewed. Read more in our article on the July 2026 accident benefits changes, or on the FSRA page in the sources below.
If your injuries are serious, you may also want independent legal advice. This article cannot give legal or medical advice.
Step 6: Understand how fault is decided
Fault is the question of who is responsible for the collision, and it affects who pays for what. In Ontario, insurers use a set of fault determination rules to assign a percentage of responsibility based on the facts of the accident, such as which car turned, who had the right of way, and whether a signal was run. These rules apply even if the drivers disagree.
In practice:
- Your insurer investigates using your account, the other driver's account, photos, any police report and witness statements.
- You may be found fully, partly or not at fault.
- If you are not at fault, your own insurer often still deals with repairs to your car through Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD), unless you opted out through an endorsement. Opting out has real trade-offs, so check your policy and talk to your broker. See our DCPD opt-out explainer.
- Disagreements can often be raised with your insurer. Ask how to dispute a fault decision if you think it is wrong.
Step 7: Repairs, rental cars and your deductible
Before you spend money, pause and check three things.
Repairs. The Insurance Bureau of Canada advises not authorizing non-essential repairs until your insurer has inspected the damage or approved the work. Your insurer may point you to preferred repair shops. Ask whether you can use your own, and get a written estimate. Emergency steps that prevent more damage, such as towing or covering a broken window, are generally reasonable, and you should keep the receipts.
Rental cars. A rental car while yours is being repaired is typically covered only if your policy includes the OPCF 20 loss of use endorsement. Without it, you may pay yourself. If the other driver was at fault, ask your insurer how that affects your costs.
Deductible. If you claim under collision, comprehensive or all perils, you usually pay your deductible first, and the insurer pays the rest up to your coverage. If you are not at fault, the rules may differ. Our article on how deductibles work covers the basics.
For a write-off or a car still under a lease or loan, extra steps may apply, so tell your insurer early.
What to ask your broker
A broker can explain your own policy before something goes wrong. Questions worth asking:
- What is my deductible for collision and comprehensive, and does it change if I am not at fault?
- Do I have OPCF 20, and for how long does it provide a rental?
- Which accident benefits does my policy include since July 2026?
- Did I opt out of DCPD, and what does that mean if someone else hits me?
- How and when should I report a claim, and is there a claims phone number I can save today?
- Will a claim affect my renewal, and how does accident forgiveness work, if my insurer offers it?
If you do not have a broker yet, RIBO, the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario, licenses them and has a public register. You can also look at our auto insurance page or start a quote to compare options.
A short checklist to keep in your glovebox
- Phone numbers for your insurer and broker.
- Your insurance slip and vehicle registration.
- A pen and paper, or a notes app, for details.
- A fully charged phone with the camera ready.
Final notes
This article is general information, not legal, medical or insurance advice. Rules, deadlines and forms change, and your policy wording controls what is covered. Reviewed October 2026. For decisions about your own situation, speak with your insurer or a broker.
