A Plain-English Guide to SABS Ontario – Your Accident Benefits After a Car Accident
If you’ve just been in a car accident, you could be dealing with feeling shaken-up, a damaged vehicle, insurance calls, and a pile of paperwork you didn’t ask for. The last thing you have mental bandwidth for is decoding the Ontario insurance system.
Here’s something most accident victims in Toronto don’t know: regardless of who caused the crash, you are entitled to a set of insurance benefits specifically designed to cover your medical treatment, rehabilitation, and depending on your policy, lost income.
These benefits exist precisely so that your recovery doesn’t become a financial crisis on top of a physical one.
They’re called Statutory Accident Benefits, or SABS. And understanding them, even just the basics, could be the difference between getting the care you need quickly and falling through the cracks of an intimidating process.
This guide explains what SABS Ontario are, what they cover, the deadlines you need to know, and how Core Wellness Centre takes the administrative weight off your shoulders so you can focus on getting better.
Ontario SABS Covers Your Recovery – At No Cost to You.
Chiropractic. Physiotherapy. RMT. All covered under your car accident benefits. Core Wellness Centre bills your insurer directly.
CALL us on (416) 479 – 8311 TODAY or simply book online below
What Are Statutory Accident Benefits (SABS) Ontario?
Statutory Accident Benefits are mandatory no-fault insurance benefits that are included in every standard Ontario auto insurance policy. They are governed by the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, which is a regulation under Ontario’s Insurance Act, and they apply to anyone injured in a motor vehicle accident in the province.
“No-fault” means exactly what it sounds like: you don’t have to prove the other driver was responsible to access your benefits. You claim from your own insurance company, and benefits begin flowing based on your injuries, not a fault determination.
SABS covers drivers, passengers, cyclists, and even pedestrians struck by a vehicle, so if you were in a car accident in Ontario, there is a very good chance SABS applies to you.
What Does SABS Cover?
SABS provides several categories of benefits, each designed to address a different aspect of your post-accident recovery.
Medical and Rehabilitation Benefits
This is the core benefit most relevant to patients at Core Wellness Centre. Medical and rehabilitation benefits cover treatment costs that OHIP does not, including physiotherapy, chiropractic care, and RMT registered massage therapy. In addition to prescription medications, counselling, and transportation to medical appointments.
The amount of coverage available depends on how your injuries are classified:
Minor Injury Guideline (MIG):
If your injuries are classified as minor, such as soft tissue sprains, strains, or whiplash, your medical and rehabilitation coverage is capped at $3,500 for up to five years from the date of the accident.
Non-Catastrophic Injury:
If your injuries are more significant but not permanently life-altering (for example, a more serious soft tissue injury, fracture, or concussion), the combined limit for medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits is $65,000 for up to five years.
Catastrophic Impairment:
For the most severe injuries, paralysis, traumatic brain injury, loss of limb, benefits extend to $1,000,000 over your lifetime.
It’s worth noting that injury classifications are not always straightforward, and insurers sometimes assign a lower classification than is warranted.
Getting a thorough clinical assessment early, from a licensed practitioner who documents your injuries properly, is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your access to appropriate benefits.
Attendant Care Benefits
If your injuries are severe enough that you need help with daily activities, either at home or in a healthcare facility, attendant care benefits cover the cost of that assistance.
Income Replacement Benefits (IRB)
If your injuries prevent you from working, income replacement benefits provide up to 70% of your gross weekly income, to a maximum of $400 per week under the standard policy. Higher limits are available as optional coverage add-ons.
Important note for 2026:
As of July 1, 2026, major changes to SABS Ontario took effect. Medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits remain mandatory, meaning they are automatically included in your policy.
However, income replacement benefits, non-earner benefits, caregiver benefits, and several other categories are now optional, meaning you would need to have purchased them as add-ons for them to apply.
If you are unsure what your policy includes, contact your insurer or broker for clarification.
Non-Earner Benefits
If you were not employed at the time of the accident, for example, you were a student, retiree, or caregiver, and your injuries prevent you from carrying on a normal life, you may qualify for non-earner benefits of approximately $185 per week.
This benefit requires optional coverage as of July 2026.
Caregiver Benefits
If your injuries prevent you from caring for a dependent (child, elderly parent, or other family member who relies on you), caregiver benefits may be available, now as optional coverage under the 2026 SABS Ontario reforms.
The Critical Deadlines You Cannot Miss
This is the section most accident victims wish someone had explained to them sooner. SABS has strict timelines, and missing them can delay or completely jeopardize your access to benefits.
1. Notify your insurer within 7 days.
You must contact your auto insurance company within seven days of the accident and inform them of your intent to apply for accident benefits. This can be a phone call, but follow it up in writing. Missing this window gives your insurer grounds to complicate or deny your claim.
2. Submit your application (OCF-1) within 30 days.
Once your insurer sends you an application package, the centrepiece is the OCF-1: Application for Accident Benefits. You have 30 days from the date you receive the package to complete and return it, along with any supporting documents requested. Do not sit on this form.
3. Your treatment provider submits the OCF-18.
When you begin treatment at a clinic like Core Wellness Centre, your practitioner completes an OCF-18: Treatment and Assessment Plan, a form that outlines the recommended treatment and the funding needed. Your insurer has 10 business days to approve or deny that plan. This is the mechanism by which your treatments get covered and the clinic bills your insurer directly, with no out-of-pocket cost to you.
Missing the 7-day notification or 30-day application deadline does not automatically disqualify you, but it creates an opening for your insurer to push back on your claim. Early action is always the safest path.
What Happens If You Don't Have Your Own Insurance?
SABS does not require you to be the policyholder to access benefits.
Passengers in an insured vehicle can claim benefits through the vehicle owner’s policy.
Cyclists and pedestrians struck by an insured vehicle can claim through the driver’s insurer.
Individuals without any auto insurance can access the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund (MVACF) as a last resort, a provincial safety net for exactly these situations.
Ontario uses a priority system to determine which insurer is responsible when multiple policies are involved. The rules can get technical, but the key takeaway is this: being uninsured or being a passenger does not mean you have no recourse.
A Note on SABS and Your OHIP Coverage
OHIP covers basic emergency room care and doctor visits after a car accident, but it does not cover extended physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, massage therapy, private nursing, or income lost due to your injuries. That gap is precisely what SABS exists to fill.
Under Ontario’s rules, your auto insurer becomes the first payer for medical and rehabilitation claims (with the exception of prescription medications).
This means your workplace extended health benefits are preserved, SABS pays first, so your employer plan remains available for other health needs.
How Core Wellness Centre Works With Your SABS Coverage
Navigating the SABS claims process while you’re trying to recover from an accident is genuinely difficult. At Core Wellness Centre, we’ve designed our intake process to take that burden off you entirely.
Here’s how it works when you come to us after a car accident:
Step 1
Call us directly on (416) 479 – 8311. No referral from your family doctor is required. Let us know you’ve been in an accident when you book, and we’ll prioritize your appointment and prepare for an MVA intake.
Step 2
Comprehensive assessment with Dr. Kris Dorken. Your first visit includes a full assessment — assessing spinal alignment, range of motion, soft tissue injuries, nerve function, and posture. On-site X-rays are available when clinically required. Dr. Kris has extensive experience treating and documenting MVA injuries, and his clinical notes form a critical part of your SABS claim record.
Step 3
We handle the paperwork. Our team submits your OCF-18 Treatment Plan directly to your insurer. We communicate with your adjuster, track approvals, and bill your auto insurance directly. In the vast majority of cases, there is no out-of-pocket cost to you to receive treatment.
Step 4
Treatment begins. With our multidisciplinary team, chiropractic care, physiotherapy, and RMT registered massage therapy all under one roof, your recovery plan is coordinated from the start, giving you the best possible outcome within your SABS coverage.
Common SABS Misconceptions, Cleared Up
“I was at fault, so I don’t qualify.”
Not true. SABS is explicitly no-fault. Your benefits are not contingent on who caused the accident.
“I feel okay, so I probably don’t need to file.”
Soft tissue injuries — whiplash, ligament sprains, disc compression — commonly present with delayed onset symptoms, sometimes 24 to 72 hours after the crash. Filing a claim and getting assessed early protects your access to benefits if symptoms emerge or worsen later.
“I’ll wait until I see how bad it gets.”
This is the most common and most costly mistake. The 7-day notification deadline starts immediately after the accident. Waiting also allows scar tissue to form in injured soft tissue, making recovery longer and more difficult.
“I’ll have to pay out of pocket to start treatment.”
In most MVA cases handled by Core Wellness Centre, your treatment is billed directly to your auto insurer. You don’t pay upfront and wait for reimbursement — we coordinate the billing so care begins immediately.
Your Next Step After an Ontario Car Accident
You don’t need to understand every detail of SABS to start your recovery. What you need is a team that does.
At Core Wellness Centre, Dr. Kris and our administrative team will guide you through every step, from your initial assessment and clinical documentation to treatment plan submission and insurer communication. Our job is to make sure your SABS coverage works for you, not against you.
If you’ve been in a car accident in the Toronto area, call us as soon as possible. The sooner you’re assessed, the stronger your claim, and the faster your recovery.
Book Your MVA Assessment Today
Core Wellness Centre
726 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON
(416) 479-8311
corewellnesscentre.ca
No referral required
MVA direct billing to your auto insurer
WSIB accepted
Same-week appointments available
Frequently Asked Questions About SABS in Ontario
What does SABS stand for?
SABS stands for Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule. It is the Ontario regulation that outlines the mandatory no-fault accident benefits included in every standard Ontario auto insurance policy.
Do I need a lawyer to access my SABS benefits?
Not for standard treatment claims. A clinic like Core Wellness Centre can submit treatment plans directly to your insurer and handle direct billing on your behalf. Legal counsel becomes more relevant if your benefits are denied, your injury is classified incorrectly, or you are pursuing a tort claim against the at-fault driver for additional compensation.
What if my insurer classifies my injury as “minor” but I don’t think it is?
The Minor Injury Guideline classification limits your medical and rehabilitation coverage to $3,500, which is often insufficient for whiplash and soft tissue injuries that require extended treatment. A thorough clinical assessment with complete documentation from a licensed practitioner is the foundation for challenging a classification. Consider consulting a personal injury lawyer if you believe your insurer’s classification is incorrect.
What changed about SABS in 2026?
As of July 1, 2026, medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits remain mandatory in all Ontario auto policies. Income replacement, non-earner, caregiver, and several other benefits are now optional — meaning they must be purchased as add-ons to be included. If you are unsure what your current policy covers, contact your broker before you need to find out the hard way.
Can a pedestrian or cyclist claim SABS?
Yes. Cyclists and pedestrians struck by an insured vehicle can claim benefits through the driver’s insurer. If the driver is uninsured or unknown, the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund (MVACF) is available as a last resort.
Core Wellness Centre is a multidisciplinary wellness clinic at 726 St Clair Ave W, Toronto.
We specialize in MVA rehabilitation, SABS direct billing, chiropractic care, physiotherapy, osteopathy and registered massage therapy. Dr. Kris and our team handle all insurance paperwork so you can focus entirely on your recovery.
References:
Ontario Regulation 34/10 (SABS) on Ontario.ca
FSRA’s consumer guide to accident benefits
Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund (MVACF)
