What is Happening with Auto insurance premiums in Ontario?

For many years, drivers in Ontario have been paying higher rates than other provinces despite having lower statistics of crashes and auto accidents. Reports have described Ontario’s insurance system as “one of the least effective in Canada”. To that end, it has been the goal of the Liberal government to introduce automotive insurance reform in Ontario.

The latest development in this agenda is the “Ontario Fair Auto Insurance Plan”, which comprehensively reforms several elements of the insurance system. Some important changes are:

Standard Treatment Plans

The introduction of standard treatment plans is intended to aid victims with “common” collision injuries, such as sprains, strains, and seatbelt whiplash. The intention is to shift the focus from standard cash settlements for minor injuries to an emphasis on delivering treatment plans for commonly received injuries in car accidents.

Independent Examination

The province aims to establish independent examination centres to help assess those more serious auto collision injuries and thus reduce dispute between insurance companies and the injured victims.

Combatting Fraud

The province will establish a Serious Fraud Office (SFO), staffed by representatives from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Ministry of the Attorney General to investigate and combat systemic insurance fraud in Ontario.

Risk Factor Review

As readers will know, insurance companies often justify higher premiums based on a criterion of “risk factors”, such as age, geographic location, vehicle make and model, etc. The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), who is in charge of approving and licensing insurers in Ontario, will now be tasked with reviewing these risk factors to ensure that deemed “risky” clients are not being unfairly taken advantage of.

Legal Reform

The government also aims to work with the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) to help lawyers and paralegals better serve their clients and understand the needs of victims through disclosure of contingency fee arrangements and clients’ rights.

The goal of these policy changes is to affect wider, fairer auto coverage for all and to introduce and encourage systemic change in the auto industry in Ontario. If you or a loved one have recently been injured in an auto accident, and have questions regarding these new insurance changes and how they could affect you, do not hesitate to contact Grillo Law today.