Accident Benefits Prior To June 1, 2016
What You Need To Consider...
If you or your family were injured in a car accident and couldn't work, how would it change your life?
- Could you live on $400 per week?
- Would you have enough for things like physiotherapy, prescriptions or a home health care worker?
- Are you aware of the limitations with OHIP or your Personal Benefits?
- Do family members depend on you for their care, housekeeping or home maintenance? Who would do these thinks if you couldn't?
- If there was a death resulting from an automobile accident, would you have enough for funeral costs?
- If it took years to recover from injuries would you want your insurance benefits to keep up with the increasing cost of living?
Accident Benefits is actually a robust package of benefits and coverages. With the implementation of Ontario's auto insurance reforms, 8 components of the package were changed to offer consumers an opportunity to customize the package they purchase.
1. Medical, Rehabilitation And Attendant Care: For Non-Catastrophic Injuries
For medial and rehabilitation expenses (like physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment and dental expenses) the standard coverage is $50,000. Keep in mind, if your injury is considered minor, no matter what level of coverage you choose, your medical and rehabilitation accident benefits will be limited to $3,500.
Your choices: You can increase this limit to $72,000 or $1,072,000
2. Medical, Rehabilitation And Attendant Care: For Catastrophic* Injuries
For catastrophic injuries, the standard coverage for medical and rehabilitation expenses is $1,000,000.
Your choices: You can opt to increase the limit by $1,000,000
For Attendant Care, coverage is $1,000,000
Your choices: You can opt to increase the limit by $1,000,000
- Standard
- Medical & Rehabilitation ($100,000)
- Attendant Care ($72,000)
- Medical Rehabilitation ($1,100,000) & Attendant Care ($1,072,000)
*Examples of catastrophic injuries include paraplegia, quadriplegia, permanent loss (of loss of use) of an arm or leg, and total vision loss in both eyes.
3. Caregiver Benefit
If you provide full-time care to dependants, and are disabled as the result of a car accident, the caregiver benefits portion of your policy provides $250 per week for one dependant, plus $50 per week for each additional dependant. This is available to those with catastrophic injuries.
Your choices: You can opt to extend this coverage so that it applies to all injuries, not just those deemed catastrophic.
4. Housekeeping And Home Maintenance
If, as a result of a car accident, you need to hire someone to help you clean and otherwise upkeep your home, the housekeeping and home maintenance benefits portion of your policy provides up to $100 per week. This is available to only those with catastrophic injuries.
Your choices: You can opt to extend this coverage so that it applies to all injuries, not just those deemed catastrophic.
5. Income Replacement
If you're unable to return to work and earn a living after a car accident, the income replacement portion of your Accident Benefits provides 70 per cent of your gross income up to a maximum of $400 per week.
Your choices: You can opt to increase your weekly maximum to $600, $800 or $1000 per week.
6. Dependent Care
This is an optional benefit that, will help to offset the cost of childcare expenses in the event you are in an accident.
Your choices: You can opt to include this into your Accident Benefits package. The benefit offers up to $75 per week for the first depenant and $25 per week for each additional dependent. There is a $150 weekly maximum.
7. Death And Funeral
No one likes to think of the worst, but if you die as a result of an automobile accident, the standard amount paid is $25,000 to your eligible spouse, $10,000 for each dependant, and a maximum of $6,000 for funeral expenses.
Your choices: You can opt to increase the amount going to your spouse to $50,000; $20,000 to each dependent child, and $8,000 towards funeral expenses.
- Standard
- Increased Optional
8. Indexation
This is an optional benefit that, if taken, will annually adjust the amounts available when eligible to receive income replacement, non-earner, caregiver, attendant care and medical and rehabilitation benefits.
Your choices: You can opt to include this into your Accident Benefits package. The benefit annually adjusts the amounts available according to the Canadian Consumer Price Index.