Individuals in Ontario who have been injured in an automobile accident may wonder what agencies are responsible for paying various types of medical and related expenses. In order of priority, ministry programs, private insurance, automobile insurance, money from lawsuits and provincial government plans should pay for health care services.
The Ministry for Health and Long-Term care is responsible for medical costs, including physician and hospital services and mental health services, a number of in-home health services including physiotherapy and air ambulance. Automobile insurance is responsible for community and personal support services including house cleaning, caregiver support and meals.
There are upper limits to the amounts available from the ministry and insurers. For example, there is a $1 million limit to attendant care depending on how catastrophic the accident was, and there is also a limit of $100 per week toward homemaking tasks.
Working out which agencies are responsible for reimbursement after a car accident as well as who is responsible for seeking that reimbursement can be complicated. For example, the ministry might pay for services that the insurer is responsible for, but if that is the case, the ministry must go through the insurer for reimbursement. However, the injured individual is also responsible for working with the automobile insurer to make claims.
Those who have been injured in an automobile accident may wish to consult a lawyer due to the complicated nature of these reimbursements. A lawyer may be useful if the insurance company argues the injured individual is partly at fault in the accident. Because injuries from automobile accidents can affect an individual’s ability to work and have other far-reaching financial consequences, an individual may wish to file a lawsuit against the responsible party.