Accident Benefits

A Complete Guide to Statutory Accident Benefits for Injured Motorists

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Getting involved in a car crash isn’t just painful. It’s also an overwhelming process that may lead to unwanted situations for you. However, if you have the required financial coverage, you’ll be able to overcome and recover from your injuries without any worries.

And for many years, the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) has been the most important part of the auto insurance system in Ontario. It is a safety net that has ensured anyone injured in a motor accident can get income replacement, medical coverage, and rehabilitation support, irrespective of the fault.

However, from July 1, 2026 onwards, this safety net is going to be uncovered. But before that, you need to understand how these benefits work for you.

In this article, you’ll explore how this set of accident benefits is beneficiary for motorists injured in car crashes.

Types of Benefits Offered With SABS

The statutory accident benefits schedule consists of benefits that are supportive of your recovery. Which one do you qualify for, and how much you can receive depends on your injuries, the situation of your work, and whether you have additional coverage in place.

Here are some of these accident benefits:

Replacement of Income:

If your injuries are making you avoid working, income replacement benefits can help you earn the lost wages. According to a personal injury lawyer, you can receive up to 70% of your gross weekly income, up to a maximum of $400 every week.

Some people choose to increase that cap via optional insurance, which raises it to $600, $800, or even $1000 every week. The replacement of income generally begins one week after the accident. It can continue for up to one hundred four weeks.

After that, benefits may continue if you’re able to prove that you’re incapable of engaging in any employment that you’re logically suited for by education, training, or experience.

Non-Earner Benefits:

SABS may cover you even if you weren’t employed at the time of the crash. For example, if you were a student or a stay-at-home parent, you could qualify for non-earner benefits if your injuries leave you incapable of leading a normal life.

You just need to show that your ability to perform normal activities has been impacted.

Caregiver Benefits:

If you were the main caregiver of a dependant or child before the car crash and now are unable to provide that care due to your injuries, you can apply for the caregiver benefits.

This coverage will reimburse you for reasonable expenses to hire someone else to care for those who depend on you, especially a child. However, this benefit is only applicable to those who’ve suffered major injuries, unless you have optional coverage that extends it to other types of injuries.

Medical and Rehabilitation Benefits:

This covers the medical treatment and rehabilitation costs that are not already paid for by an external service provider, like the OHIP. This can include physiotherapy, chiropractic care, psychological therapy and counselling, mobility devices, and many other things.

The coverage limits work in the following ways:

  • Minor injuries: up to $3500
  • Non-Serious Injuries: up to $65000 (coupled with attendant care)
  • Serious Injuries: Up to $1000000 (with attendant care)

Apart from all these things, optional coverage can double the non-catastrophic limit to $130000, or raise the serious ones’ cap up to $2 million.

Attendant Care Benefits:

If your injuries are severe enough that you require help with personal tasks like dressing, bathing, or eating, attendant care benefits can be helpful in covering such assistance.

You’ll require an occupational therapist to analyze your needs and complete an “Assessment of Attendant Care Needs” form. This benefit will cover up to:

  1. $3000 per month for injuries that are not severe.
  2. $6000 per month for severe or catastrophic injuries.

Instead of being lump sums, these benefits will be reimbursed to you based on receipts or invoices for the care services that are actually provided.

Other Types of Benefits:

SABS also includes various other benefits, such as:

  1. Housekeeping and home maintenance support for up to $100 per week. However, this is applicable only for catastrophic injuries, unless you’ve got optional coverage with you.
  2. Lost educational expenses, which include reimbursement for tuition, books, or other expenses, in case injuries force you to leave education.
  3. Visitor expenses, which cover the travel costs for close relatives to visit you during your treatment and recovery.
  4. Death and funeral benefits, which offer a lump sum to your partner or spouse and dependants, and cover the expenses for the funeral, up to $6000.

How Do Injury Classifications Impact Your Benefits?

SABS benefits aren’t the same for all. The amount of support you receive depends mainly on the way your injuries are classified, as per a personal injury lawyer. Some prominent examples include:

Minor Injuries:

These injuries include sprains, strains, and whiplash-like injuries. These injuries fall under the Minor Injury Guideline. The MIG will limit your medical and rehabilitation coverage to $3000.

It also consists of access to attendant care or housekeeping unless you have an exception, such as having a pre-existing condition that can extend your recovery.

Non-Catastrophic Injuries:

This is the usual category for many injuries that don’t fall under the MIG and aren’t considered significant. In this category, your combined medical, rehab, and attendant care benefits are limited to $65000 for up to five years.

Catastrophic Injuries:

These are the most major cases, such as paralysis, traumatic brain injury, amputation, and blindness. If you’re considered catastrophically impaired, you’ll get access to up to $1 million in combined advantages for life, along with additional benefits like housekeeping assistance and a caregiver.

These are some notable categories that you need to consider. Furthermore, to apply for SABS benefits, you need to do the following things:

  1. Notify Your Insurance Company
  2. Complete the OCF-1
  3. Submit the supporting documents.

By doing so, you’ll be able to ensure some benefits that may provide some financial coverage.

To Summarize

Injuries suffered during a car crash can be difficult to recover from, depending on their severity. However, when you have the required financial coverage by your side, you’ll be able to ensure a better outcome. This is where the statutory accident benefits schedule comes in handy, providing the required support and assistance for your recovery journey.

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