What to Do After an Accident

If you’ve never been involved in an accident, you can’t really appreciate what a stressful and unpleasant experience it can be. Your mind and body go through a rapid series of responses that can include everything from shock and dismay to panic and anger. In the minutes following a collision, focusing on the things that you DO have control over can help you regain your composure.

Assuming no one has sustained any bodily harm (which is hopefully the case), the first thing to do is to take a deep breath and make a conscious effort to remain calm. After that, there are certain steps (as set out in Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act) that you need to follow after an accident to comply with the laws, protect yourself and improve your outcome.

As collision repair specialists, we know only too well that many drivers are not 100% clear about what these steps consist of, making this the perfect topic to cover in this month’s blog. After you’ve read it, we strongly recommend that you print out a copy to keep in your glove box … just in case.

Also keep in mind the fact that the recommended steps, dollar amounts and time limits mentioned in this article can vary between jurisdictions. Always check with your insurance company and/or the police department that is closest to where the accident occurred.

Things to do as soon as possible after an accident:

1. Stop your vehicle. Whether or not any injuries have occurred, do not flee. Leaving the scene of any accident can land you in some very hot legal water.
2. See if anyone requires medical assistance or attention. Visually and verbally, check yourself and your passengers, as well as any other drivers and their passengers, for injuries. If anyone has been seriously hurt, call 911 immediately.
3. Record as much information as you can. As long as it is safe (i.e. you are not on a narrow highway shoulder with trucks whizzing by), get out of your vehicle and:a. Take pictures and video that capture the general scene, the weather and road conditions, and damage done to the vehicles.
   b. Take pictures of the license plates and vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of the other vehicles involved. (VINs can be found outside of the windshield on the driver’s side, near the bottom.
   c. Exchange contact and insurance policy information with the other driver(s) involved. 
4. Clear the roadway. Once you have documented as much information as you can—and provided it is safe to do so—move your vehicle to the side or shoulder of the road, as far as possible from the flow of traffic. If your vehicle cannot be moved, engage your hazard lights and/or surround the scene with cones, flares or flags.
5. Call the police if any of the following is true:

• Drivers or passengers have sustained injuries
• The damage to all vehicles involved appears to be more than $5,000 in total.

(The prior threshold of $2,000 was increased to $5,000 as of January 2025.)

• You have cause to believe any of the drivers may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

6. If your vehicle needs to be towed, observe the following guidelines.

• If your car is in a travelled lane and cannot be moved to a safe spot, call 911.
• To ensure that disabled vehicles can be cleared quickly and safely, Ontario has introduced a Tow Zone Pilotplan that defines restricted towing zones on certain sections of provincial highways. Call 511 to arrange for a tow if you are in a restricted towing zone (as defined on this map).
• In all other cases, call a towing company directly.

Things to do within 24 hours after an accident:

1. You don’t need to involve the police for Property Damage Only (PDO) collisions, meaning the following conditions are met:

• No one was injured as a result of the accident, and
• Total damage to all vehicles is estimated as less than $5,000.

Instead, you must take your damaged vehicle to the collision reporting centre* that is closest to where the accident occurred. Make sure you also have your Driver’s License, Ownership/Registration and Insurance Slip.

At the collision reporting centre, you’ll need to fill out a police report and photographs will be taken of the damage to your vehicle.

*NOTE:

In certain cases, such as where a car has sustained only minor damage, your insurance company may advise that you do not need to attend a collision reporting centre to formally report the accident. If you are unsure whether or not this is the case, contact your insurance broker to determine how to proceed.

If you do choose to report the accident but you don’t plan on submitting a claim through insurance, you can ask the centre not to provide a copy of the report to your insurance provider. (Otherwise, the report will be sent automatically.) Keep in mind that some policies have mandatory reporting of car damage, in which case they should find out from you, not the other driver’s insurer!

2. Contact Mitek, your friendly local collision repair experts. Along with a sympathetic ear, we have the insurance knowledge and professional expertise it takes to get you (and your car) rolling again—quickly and safely.

Remember – As stated in our March blog—Debunking Common Collision Repair Myths—the decision where to take your car for repairs is always 100% up to you. Many of the repair companies recommended by insurance companies are more likely to use aftermarket parts that can impact repair quality, so shops recommended by dealers or manufacturers are always the safest bet.

3. Contact your insurance company to report the collision and let them know where you will be taking your car for repairs. They will advise you if there are further steps you need to take based on the terms of your policy.

IMPORTANT: The recommended steps, dollar amounts and time limits mentioned in this article can vary between jurisdictions, so we highly recommend you confirm with your insurance company and/or the police department that is closest to where the accident occurred.

Hope for the Best … but Always Plan for the Worst

Even the most level-headed person can lose their cool (and common sense) in an accident or emergency. Remembering and following these guidelines (also set out here on the FSRA website) can help you navigate the post-accident process with a minimum of stress and confusion.

At Mitek, we care much more about your safety and peace of mind than we do our bottom line.  Our goal in sharing this information is to ensure that, if your journey should ever take a turn for the worse, you can have the best possible outcome.