Are Dependent Relatives Covered By Ontario’s Auto Insurance?

The residents of Ontario that have purchased one of the Province-supported insurance policies want to know how many relatives can be covered under such a policy.

Who is covered?

All those mentioned in the paperwork that was completed, when the coverage was purchased. Any dependent on the head of the household or the spouse, should rely on access to the policy holder’s care and support.

How a court evaluates the status of a relative that claims to be a dependent of the person that bought an insurance policy?

It must be a principle dependency, one that has existed for at least 6 months. The dependency must have existed at the time of the accident. Evidence of a relative’s dependent status must be considered if the injured person had not relied on the care and support of someone with an automobile insurance policy. In that case, the injured relative might be able to obtain financial support from Ontario Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund. Still, that same relative must have proof of his or her status as a principle dependent. A relative that has a job or an alternate source of income cannot qualify as a dependent.

Why a court might rule against an accident victim that claims to have a dependent status?

The victim spends some time at the home of one relative, and then a similar amount of time at the home of a different relative. That does not satisfy the need for principle dependency.

• The victim receives some money as a pension, or as a short or long term disability benefit.
• The victim’s living arrangement, as a dependent had begun within the past 3 months.
• The victim had chosen to live with the policy holder after getting injured, while riding in the policy holder’s car.
• The victim is not related to the policy holder.
• The victim and the policy holder have joined forces to create a money-making business. The victim is living with the policy holder until the business becomes more profitable.
• The victim lives in a separate building on the estate of the policy holder. The victim parks a car in the driveway that leads to that separate building.

The court finds that the policy holder has a suspended license. Injury Lawyer in Milton knows that if the policy holder no longer has a valid automobile insurance policy, the coverage on that policy cannot be shared with a dependent relative.

The court finds that the policy holder has not paid the annual fee for the car’s registration. As a result, the insurance policy no longer covers a registered vehicle. In light of that fact, the policy holder’s coverage has ended, and cannot be shared with a relative that claims a principle dependency.