Hello Dear Friends,
Today, I will explain what you need to pay attention to when you’re involved in a traffic accident in Ontario. Be cautious! People may try to take advantage of you. This article is designed to help you protect yourself and your money.
I’ve previously written an article about what to do when you’re involved in an accident. You can access it here.
Tow Trucks
BEWARE! Tow truck drivers may go to great lengths to charge you extra.
They will often try to add additional fees for towing your car from the accident site to the collision reporting center or to a repair shop.
Here’s what you need to know:
Tow trucks must take your car from the accident site to the collision reporting center and then to your desired repair shop. These expenses are covered by your insurance company.
Once they’ve taken you to the collision reporting center, they might say, “You need to pay for the tow from here to the repair shop.” DO NOT PAY! Repair shops will settle with the insurance company, and the insurance will pay the tow truck company once it approves the repair. (Sometimes, insurance approval may take time, and the tow truck operator may try to intimidate you or demand payment upfront. Do not pay.)
If your car dealership, for example TOYOTA, doesn’t have an in-house repair service, call ahead to find the repair shop’s address before you go. Otherwise, when the tow truck takes you to Toyota and they redirect you to another repair shop, the tow truck operator may charge you extra for the additional trip. (Consider having a CAA towing service membership for free towing services. With a Canadian Tire black credit card, you can get a free CAA account and use two free towing services per year.)
Tow truck operators often have agreements with certain repair shops and will try to convince you to go to their preferred location. They might say your minimum $500–$1000 deductible will be included in the repair costs. Stick to repair shops you know and trust.
Repair Shops
Repair shops may inflate repair costs unnecessarily. Don’t assume it doesn’t concern you! Some repair shops work on commission with insurance brokers. For instance, they might estimate repair costs of over $15,000 for a car worth $24,500. Insurance brokers might agree to this, saying, “Fix it instead of declaring it a total loss,” and take their commission.
If you insist and negotiate, the same repair cost of $15,000 could drop to $8,000.
Car Rentals
During repairs, your insurance company will cover the cost of a rental car. This period is typically between 21–30 days, with a daily mileage limit of 200–300 km. If the repairs take longer, you can request an extension of the rental period from your insurance company.
A Final Note
Let me put it this way: you need to be “savvy” to avoid losing thousands of dollars amidst all these games.
Wishing you safe and hassle-free travels!
#Orhan Hoca
Licensed Driving Instructor
647 984 4682