Who should I call first after a car accident?

The short answer

The order is injuries, then police, then insurer. Under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act a collision with damage above $2,000 or any injury has to be reported to police, usually within 24 hours.

What happens at each step?

Emergency services attend to injuries and hazards. Police reporting is done at a Collision Reporting Centre rather than at the roadside in most of Ontario, and produces the report number an insurer will ask for. The insurer or broker then opens the claim.

Details taken at the scene decide how straightforward the rest is: the other driver's name, licence, plate, insurer and policy number, plus photographs of both vehicles and the position they came to rest in.

Ontario is a no-fault jurisdiction, so the claim is made to the insured's own insurer regardless of who caused the collision. The other driver's details are still needed for direct compensation to apply.

What does this mean for an Ontario driver?

Reporting is not optional above the threshold, and an unreported collision can complicate a claim later. The insurer does not need to be called from the roadside, but it does need to be called.

Sutherland Insurance makes an in-house claims representative available to every client who has a claim, alongside the broker who placed the policy.

Claims are taken on 519-822-0160, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Related questions

• What does no-fault insurance mean in Ontario?
• How does an at-fault accident affect my rate in Ontario?