In Ontario, Does My Car Insurance Protect Passengers?
Motor-vehicle accidents are disorienting and scary, both at the time of the accident and afterwards. You may be injured, your property may be damaged, and you may be suffering from physical and mental trauma. If you are a passenger in a motor-vehicle accident, you may be feeling especially confused on your next steps. Fortunately, however, you have options. In Ontario, if you are a passenger who has been injured in a motor-vehicle accident, you have the legal right to make a claim for both injuries and damage.
If you are a passenger in a motor-vehicle accident, you have three options:
- File a claim with the other driver’s insurer: If you are involved in a motor-vehicle accident as a passenger, and another vehicle caused the accident, you can file a claim against the other driver’s insurance.
- File a claim through your driver’s policy: If you are involved in a motor-vehicle accident as a passenger, you may also be able to file a claim through the policy of the person driving the car in which you were a passenger, regardless of whether they were at fault.
- File a claim through your own car or health insurance: In some instances, you may also have the option to file a claim through your own insurer.
In most instances, passengers are covered under the insurance policy of the vehicle’s driver. However, if the driver in another car is deemed to be at fault, then the claim would likely be filed against the responsible driver’s insurance, or both. Even if no one is insured, injured passengers are entitled to compensation through the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund.
If you have been injured as a passenger in a motor-vehicle accident in Ontario, our experienced team of personal injury lawyers can help to guide you through the process and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
