One of the most commonly asked questions personal injury lawyers get to hear is: Will my insurance policy provide coverage outside Ontario? This is an important question to ask, especially for people who spend a lot of time in other provinces, or even the United States where many drivers are severely lacking in insurance coverage, or even drive around entirely without any coverage, due to the lack of laws surrounding minimum liability insurance.
Will You Be Covered Outside Ontario?
In short: yes. Yes, you are. As long as your vehicle is covered by insurance, then you are saved to operate it outside of the province. There are standard policies which have been put into place to ensure coverage for the driver and their passengers in the case of a collision taking place outside the confines of Ontario.
Basics of A Standard Policy
The majority of Ontario insurance policies will include a selection of fixed accident benefits, which are often referred to as no fault benefits since they ensure coverage regardless of whether they are found liable or not. These benefits also apply to accidents taking place anywhere across the rest of Canada, anywhere in the United States, and even on ships between the ports of the two countries.
Included in these benefits is compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost education, visiting expenses, damaged clothing/medical devices/glasses, housekeeping benefits, home maintenance expenses, wrongful death, and funeral expenses. The ones that are granted is, of course, fully depended on the severity of the injury. It helps to talk with a Personal Injury Lawyer in Milton to know your case merits and how much compensation you can win after filing a claim.They would be glad to represent your rights if you are entitled to compensation.
Additional coverage can also be purchased, in which case more funds could become available in case of an out of province collision. However, it is important to read the fine print before sign on the policy purchase.
What If The Other Driver Is Uninsured?
Should the liable driver be fully uninsured, then the Ontario driver will still receive coverage of the height of their own insurance policy plan.
What About My Passengers?
The majority of insurance plans will also include Family Protection Endorsement for an extremely low premium. This will ensure coverage for a selection of family members in the event that they are injured in a collision which has taken place outside Ontario.
This coverage will be as high as their own liability insurance limits. Additionally, such coverage will also be highly beneficial in the event of a motor vehicle collisions in which the liable driver is under-insured and could thus not cover the plaintiffs’ claims.