What to do after a car accident in Ontario, step by step.

Six steps to take right after a crash

1. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. If there are injuries, or a pedestrian or cyclist is involved, call 911 right away and stay at the scene until help arrives.
2. Exchange information with the other driver. Get their name, phone number, insurance policy number, and licence plate — and give them yours. Stick to the facts; don't get into a discussion about who's at fault.
3. Take photos. Photograph both vehicles, the damage, the road or intersection, and anything else relevant. These photos matter more the longer you wait to take them.
4. Report it correctly. If anyone's hurt, there's a fatality, a suspected criminal offence, or damage to public property, call 911. Otherwise it's property damage only — police usually don't attend, so you self-report at a collision reporting centre in Brampton or Mississauga within 48 hours if your vehicle is drivable (if it needs a tow, you're taken there directly from the scene); it's required once damage looks like it could exceed $5,000 (raised from $2,000 in 2025), and worth doing even below that. See our guide to the Brampton collision reporting centre or the Mississauga collision reporting centre for exact locations, hours, and what to bring.
5. Notify your own insurer. Do this regardless of who was at fault and regardless of how minor the damage looks — most policies require it, and waiting can complicate things later.
6. See a doctor, even if you feel fine. Some injuries, especially whiplash and soft-tissue injuries, take days or weeks to show up. Getting checked early protects both your health and your claim.

The deadlines that matter

A few Ontario deadlines are worth knowing from day one: you generally need to apply for accident benefits (SABS) within 30 days of the crash, you're expected to respond to requests from your insurer within 10 business days, and if a benefit is ever denied or reduced, you have up to 2 years to dispute it. None of these deadlines mean you need to have everything figured out immediately — but missing them can make an otherwise valid claim harder to pursue. See our full guide to how long you have to make an accident claim for the complete breakdown, including the two-year window to sue an at-fault driver.

If you're reading this days or weeks later

If it's already been a few days or weeks since your accident and you're only now noticing pain, or only now looking into what you're entitled to, you haven't missed your window. Delayed symptoms are common and still claimable, and late is not the same as never — the deadlines above start from key events like the accident itself or a denial, not from today. If you're wondering about how much you can claim after a car accident, that's a fair question at any stage. It's still worth a quick, free conversation to find out exactly where you stand.

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This is general information, not legal advice — timelines and requirements depend on your specific situation.