Ontario’s new OPCF 47R endorsement fixes accident benefit priority issues and prepares insurers, agents, brokers, and policyholders for Ontario’s 2026 SABS reforms.
Automobile Coverage
Sniffing Out Relief: How Due Diligence Beat a Claim Denial
One cancelled road test. One medical episode while driving. The court ruling that every claims adjuster needs to see.
Tick Tock, You’re Barred: LAT Applies Hard Line on SABS Timelines
She said her injuries didn’t seem serious. Her medical records said otherwise. The LAT sided with the paperwork—and barred her claim because it was late.
Ordinary Parlance: Meet the New Face of “Automobile”
Is a Caterpillar 930K wheel loader an “automobile” under Ontario insurance law? This SABS accident benefits coverage ruling might have you rethinking your ordinary parlance.
Principal Dependency Explained – Without Chasing Your Tail
Who counts as a “dependant” under Ontario’s standard auto insurance policy? The answer can determine whether someone is entitled to death benefits, optional benefits, or even which insurer pays under section 268(2) of the Insurance Act.
Claimant’s assault was not an automobile “accident”
The LAT has issued an accident benefits coverage decision, finding a claimant who was assaulted in his vehicle was not involved in an “accident” under the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule. Overview of assault and claim In Addison v Intact, the claimant had just...
Court: Coffee Car Coverage Case Confirmed
The Ontario Divisional Court has allowed an appeal in an accident benefits coverage case, confirming that a claimant who was injured from spilled coffee in a McDonald’s drive-through was involved in an automobile “accident”. In Miceli v. TD Insurance, the claimant was...
Ice is Back with a Brand New Accident Benefits Coverage Decision
This article was initially posted in May 2021. Does slipping on ice next to a vehicle come within the definition of accident under Ontario's statutory accident benefits scheme? Ok Stop. Collaborate and, ummmmm .....read. The Divisional Court has weighed into the (Ice)...
No Void Ab Initio For Auto
This article was initially posted in May 2019. Can an Ontario insurer treat an automobile policy as being void ab initio and deny a claim in its entirety as a result? The Court of Appeal for Ontario says "no". Merino v. Intact involved a pedestrian who was...
ONCA reverses Matheson: no husbandry here
The Court of Appeal for Ontario has reversed the Superior Court’s decision in Matheson v. Lewis, finding that the plaintiff farmer’s Honda ATV was an off-road vehicle that required automobile insurance at the time of the accident. In Matheson, the plaintiff farmer...