Quick answer. Get safe, call 911 if anyone is injured, document everything, file an OPP-170 collision report within 24 hours if police do not attend, notify your insurer within 7 days, and speak to a personal injury lawyer before signing anything from any insurer.
Move to a safe location if it is safe to do so. Call 911 if anyone is injured or vehicles are not driveable. Turn on hazard lights. Do not admit fault. Get the other driver's licence, plate, insurance company name, and policy number. Photograph all vehicles, the scene, the road conditions, and any injuries that are visible. Get the names and phone numbers of any witnesses.
If police did not attend, you must file a self-report collision form (OPP-170 or municipal equivalent) within 24 hours where total damage exceeds the provincial reporting threshold. Notify your insurer of the accident as soon as practicable. Most policies require notice within 7 days of an accident giving rise to an accident benefits claim. Do not give a recorded statement to anyone other than your own insurer before talking to a lawyer.
See a doctor even if symptoms feel minor. Soft tissue injuries often present in full only days later. Keep every receipt: prescriptions, parking at appointments, taxis, mileage to and from treatment. Start a written log of symptoms by day. Decline the at-fault insurer's adjuster who asks for a recorded statement.
In Ontario every collision involves two parallel claim streams. Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) is a no-fault claim against your own insurer for medical and rehabilitation funding, income replacement, attendant care, and other benefits. Tort claim is the negligence action against the at-fault driver for general damages, future income loss, future care, and loss of enjoyment of life. Both run simultaneously. Both have strict deadlines.
OCF-1 application for accident benefits is typically filed within 30 days of receiving the package from your insurer. Limitations Act basic limitation for tort claims is two years from the date of accident (with some carve-outs for delayed discovery and minors). Municipal claims (e.g., against a city for ice on a sidewalk) often require 10-day written notice. Speak to a lawyer in the week of the accident, not the year of it.
Immediately if anyone is seriously injured. The same week if your injuries persist beyond a few days, if you cannot work, if the at-fault driver disputes liability, or if you are being pressured to sign anything. Most personal injury lawyers in Canada work on contingency, meaning no fee unless you recover. Initial consultations are free.
Not for very minor damage with no injuries. If anyone is injured, if a vehicle cannot be driven, or if damage exceeds the provincial reporting threshold, call police or file a self-report within 24 hours.
No. Provide your contact information and refer them to your lawyer or your own insurer. Recorded statements taken early are routinely used to discount injury claims later.
Soft tissue cases in Ontario routinely resolve in the $30,000 to $90,000 range depending on duration of symptoms, treatment course, and impact on income and life. Cases with persistent chronic pain or permanent impairment are valued higher.
Two years from the date of the accident under the Limitations Act, with limited exceptions. Accident benefits applications have shorter internal deadlines.
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