A common question put forward to personal injury lawyers in Ontario is: Who is responsible for the costs of treatment after a car accident injury in the province? People want to know if their expenses will be covered and if they need to worry about the costs associated with getting better. Individuals are interested in knowing how the priority payments work for these treatment costs in relation to an injury connected with a vehicle accident.
A lot of people have accident benefits through the insurance they purchase through their vehicle. Some may even be named under another car insurance policy. During an accident, it may turn out that they’re an occupant of a car that also had a separate car insurance policy. Some people may have the benefits of a full selection of extended health coverage either through the policies that they hold or through a related person’s health or work insurance policy.
When there are so many insurance policies and plans to look into, it can get confusing. Where does one apply? Who should one apply with? What policy should be applied for first? It’s best to talk to a personal injury lawyer to find out the details of who to contact if you experience a car accident injury in Ontario. A lawyer will know all the details and make sure the policies work the hardest for you and that you get all the benefits you possibly can. That said, it is still a good idea to have a basic understanding of the rules of insurance. Here is a quick summary.
Under the Insurance Act, you have the right to apply to as many insurance policies as you want (as long as you’re listed as a beneficiary) to make sure you get the best coverage and accident benefits. After applying, it’s up to the insurers to determine who should pay the claim. Insurance companies are most interested in cutting costs on their end, so this means that sometimes insurance companies will fight over who they think should take on the cost of a claim. If they see that a person has coverage with someone else, they may insist the insured apply for benefits with another company.This is incorrect. If they’re on the list, the insurance company should be paying you. Any dispute of payment priority needs to be resolved by the insurer, not the insured.
Extended health benefits must be accessed before a claim can be made to your MVA insurance accident benefits. This means that if you have benefits through a health plan through work, for example, and that plan covers a certain percentage of physiotherapy costs, you must use those benefits before you file for MVA insurance benefits. Once you have reached the limits of your extended health benefits, you may access your MVA insurance accident benefits. Any short fall is the cost coverage by the extended insurance company is supposed to be covered by MVA insurance.
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