What Happens to Your Insurance After an At-Fault Accident in Ontario?

After an at-fault accident in Ontario, your insurer records the claim, your premium usually goes up at your next renewal, and the accident stays on your record for rating for about six years. How much your rate changes depends on the insurer, the claim, your history, and whether you carry accident forgiveness.

How is fault actually decided in Ontario?

Fault in Ontario is not a matter of opinion or who seems like the nicer driver. It is decided using the province's Fault Determination Rules, a set of standard scenarios set out in provincial regulation. Your adjuster compares what happened to those rules and assigns a percentage of fault to each driver involved.

That means you can be found partially at fault. A collision might come back 100% your fault, 100% the other driver's, or split something like 50/50 or 75/25. Even a small percentage of fault on your side is generally treated as an at-fault accident for rating purposes, which surprises a lot of people who felt the crash "wasn't really" their fault.

The rules are applied the same way regardless of whether you were ticketed. You can be found at fault for insurance purposes even if the police laid no charge, and you can be charged by police without automatically being 100% at fault under the insurance rules. They are two separate systems.

Will my premium go up, and by how much?

In most cases, yes, an at-fault accident raises your premium at your next renewal. There is no single provincewide number for how much, because every insurer prices accidents differently. Some weigh a first at-fault accident heavily, others more gently, and the size of the increase can depend on the claim amount, your driving history, how long you have been licensed, and where you live.

Because insurers differ so much, an accident that pushes your rate up sharply with one company might land more softly with another. This is one of the clearest reasons to have a broker shop your renewal rather than simply accepting the number your current insurer sends. A broker can compare how different markets treat the same accident on your record.

One thing worth understanding early: paying for the damage yourself instead of claiming does not always keep the accident off your record. If the accident was reported and fault was assigned, it can still count. It is best to talk through your options before deciding how to handle a claim.

How long does an at-fault accident stay on my record?

Most Ontario insurers look back six years when they rate an at-fault accident, counting from the date of the accident. After that window passes, the accident generally stops affecting your premium, although each company sets its own practice.

That six-year clock is different from a conviction, which follows its own timeline, and different again from how long a claim shows up on the insurer reports brokers pull when you get quoted. So an accident can influence your rate for years even though the repair was finished long ago.

The practical takeaway is that an at-fault accident is a medium-term event, not a permanent one. Drivers sometimes assume one accident ruins their record forever. In reality, as the accident ages and eventually rolls off the six-year window, its effect on your premium fades.

What is accident forgiveness, and does it help?

Accident forgiveness is an optional endorsement you add to your policy before an accident happens. When you carry it, your insurer agrees not to raise your premium because of your first at-fault accident. It can save a meaningful amount at renewal for drivers who qualify.

There are a few important limits. Forgiveness only helps if you already had it in place before the accident; you cannot add it afterward to undo an increase. It typically applies to one at-fault accident, so a second one can still affect your rate. And it usually protects you only while you stay with that insurer. If you switch companies, the new insurer can still see the accident on your record and may rate for it, because forgiveness does not erase the accident, it just shields your premium with the company that offered it.

Whether forgiveness is worth adding depends on your situation and what the endorsement costs with a given insurer. It is a good question to raise with your broker when you set up or renew a policy, not after a crash.

Does collision coverage matter if the accident was my fault?

Yes. In Ontario, if you damage your own vehicle in an accident that was your fault, collision coverage is the part of your policy that pays to repair or replace it, subject to your deductible. Without collision coverage, repairs to your own car after an at-fault accident generally come out of your own pocket.

This is separate from Direct Compensation Property Damage, or DCPD, which handles property damage when another insured vehicle is involved and the other driver is at fault. DCPD does not help with your own vehicle when you are the one at fault. That is exactly the gap collision coverage is designed to fill.

If you drive an older vehicle, you and your broker might reasonably decide the cost of collision coverage no longer makes sense relative to the car's value. That is a personal call, but it is worth making it deliberately rather than discovering the gap after an accident.

What should I do right after an at-fault accident?

Start by making sure everyone is safe and by reporting the accident as required. In Ontario, collisions that meet the reporting threshold need to be reported, often at a Collision Reporting Centre, and you should exchange information with the other driver. Take photos and note the details while they are fresh.

Then report the accident to your insurance company or broker, even if the damage looks minor and even if you are not sure you will claim. Insurers generally expect to be told about accidents, and reporting is not the same as filing a claim. Your broker can walk you through what a claim would look like and help you decide your next step.

Finally, when your renewal comes around, treat it as a chance to shop rather than a bill to simply pay. This is where working with a broker pays off, because we can compare how several insurers treat your record and find the one that rates your situation most fairly.

FAQ

Does an at-fault accident always raise my insurance in Ontario? Usually, but not always. If you carry accident forgiveness and this is your first at-fault accident, your premium may be protected with that insurer. Without forgiveness, an at-fault accident typically increases your rate at renewal, though the amount varies by company.

Can I be found partly at fault instead of fully at fault? Yes. Ontario's Fault Determination Rules can assign a percentage of fault to each driver, such as 50/50. Even partial fault is generally treated as an at-fault accident for rating, so it can still affect your premium.

Will switching insurers get rid of an at-fault accident on my record? No. The accident stays on the insurer reports a new company can pull, usually for about six years. Switching may still get you a better rate if another insurer prices your accident more gently, which is why shopping around helps.

This is general information, not advice on a specific policy. Talk to a licensed broker about your situation.