Automobile collisions and insurance

If your vehicle is involved in a collision and you don’t stop, you may be subject to demerit points or criminal prosecution.

Call 911 if:

• anyone is seriously injured
• you suspect any other driver may be guilty of a Criminal Code offence, such as impaired driving
• the police come to the scene, ask for a copy of their report or the file number they have assigned to it

• Do not move anyone injured in the collision — you may aggravate their injuries.
• Do not stand in between 2 vehicles or behind the vehicle to inspect damage, as your safety could be jeopardized.
• If your vehicle is drivable, there are no serious injuries and the area is safe, move your vehicle to the side of the road, out of traffic. Failure to protect your vehicle from further damage after the incident, as far as reasonably possible, may limit the compensation provided by your insurance company.
  • However, in cases where there is a serious injury or a suspected impaired driver, vehicles need to remain where they are so the collision scene can be investigated.
• If your vehicle is not drivable, turn on your hazard lights, or use cones, warning triangles or flares. All passengers should get out of the vehicle and walk to a safe place if they are not seriously injured.

Report to the police in these circumstances:

• if anyone is injured
• if any driver does not have documentation such as a driver’s licence, registration or insurance
• if one or more of the vehicles isn’t drivable
• if the involved vehicles have $5,000 or more combined damage, you must go to a police station and file a Collision Report Form
  • failure to do so could result in demerit points or a fine
  • note the file number the police have assigned to your report
• if the driver is incapable of making the report, a passenger should file the report, or the owner of the vehicle upon learning about the collision

The Collision Worksheet Form will help you to remember the types of information you’ll need to record at the scene. Keep it in your glove compartment along with a spare pen.

If the driver of a vehicle is incapable of providing the information required, and there is a passenger capable, the passenger should provide that information.

If someone refuses to provide their information, document the licence plate number, vehicle description and driver description before they leave the scene.

After you have exchanged information with all parties involved:

• If your vehicle is not drivable - you must make arrangements for it to be removed from the road otherwise, a police officer may make those arrangements, and your vehicle will be deemed abandoned.
• If your vehicle is drivable - you can leave the collision scene.

If the collision involved an unattended vehicle or other property, you must notify the owner of any damage you may have caused. If you are unable to locate the owner, you must securely attach your name, address, phone number, driver’s licence number and licence plate number to the damaged vehicle.

If you damage or knock down any traffic safety device, railroad sign or signal, a traffic signal of any kind, a parking meter or any public property you must report the damage to the police immediately, even if the damages are less than $5,000 (as of January 1, 2024).

After reporting the collision to the police, advise your insurance company, regardless of which driver was at fault, as soon as possible. Tell them the details of the collision, including any injuries and damages to vehicles or properties. You might have difficulty processing a claim if you are late contacting your insurer, or if you are found withholding details. If your claim is valid, your insurance company must settle it within the time limits stated in your policy.

Police do not determine liability; this is determined in part by insurance companies. If you feel it is necessary, it can be challenged in the Alberta Courts. If the police lay charges as a result of the collision, this does not necessarily equate to who is liable for the collision.

If your contact is by telephone, follow up with a letter outlining the details of your claim.

Know the limits of your coverage. If you are not certain of what is and isn’t covered by your policy, ask your insurer. Some insurance companies may also connect you to a trained claim advisor to walk you through what to do, including how to deal with the other driver(s) involved.

See” Getting Your Vehicle Repaired” below for information on your right to choose service providers (for example, repair shop, tow truck, or health care provider).

• Your primary health care practitioner (chiropractor, medical doctor or physical therapist) does not have to seek approval of the insurer for payment for treatment of these injuries if you provide notice of your claim and choose to follow the protocols.
• Your primary health care practitioner will be able to bill the automobile insurer for all treatment services outlined in the "Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols" that are not covered by Alberta Health Care Insurance. These protocols have been developed in consultation with primary health care practitioners and are based on the best research and evidence currently available.

• Submit receipts for eligible expenses not covered by Alberta Healthcare Insurance to your extended healthcare benefits coverage provider (for example: Blue Cross, health spending account or similar extended health care benefits plan) for reimbursement.

OR

• If the following applies, you may submit invoices for eligible expenses to your automobile insurer for payment:
  • you do not have extended health care benefits coverage
  • your extended health care benefits coverage is exhausted
  • your extended health care benefits coverage does not meet the full cost of eligible expenses

See a Primary Health Care Practitioner (chiropractor, medical doctor, physical therapist) as soon as possible for an assessment of your injury and, if needed, treatment advice.

File an injury accident report with the police.

Complete an AB-1: Notice of Loss and Proof of Claim Form and retain a copy for your records and send the original signed form(s) to the insurance company. If you are unable to send the form within the following timeframes, submit it to your insurance company as soon as practicable and explain the reason for the delay.

You will be contacted about the benefits you are entitled to receive after the insurance company reviews your completed form. If your insurance company needs any additional information in order to process your application, they will contact you.

If your treatment falls under the Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols, you do not need to wait for insurer. See the "Accident benefits coverage" section above.

If you are claiming from your own insurance company, ask the company for a proof of loss claim form. Complete, sign, and submit this form to the company as soon as possible to avoid delay in settling your claim.

Before your vehicle can be repaired, you and your insurer need to know how much the repairs will cost.

Your insurance company may accept the repair shop’s estimate of the damage, or may want to appraise the damage to the vehicle. The company has the right to initially assess the damages to your vehicle and estimate the cost to repair them. Because the quality and extent of the repairs will affect the value of your vehicle, you may wish to be present if the insurer’s appraiser meets with the body shop manager to discuss the repair job.

• If your vehicle is drivable, take your vehicle and a copy of the insurance company’s appraisal to the repair shop of your choice.
• If the vehicle is not drivable, or it was towed from the collision scene, contact your insurance company so that suitable arrangements can be made.

Only one estimate is required. However, you may decide to get more than one, in order to compare prices and opinions about the extent of repairs. If you do get a second estimate and it is different, find out why. Be aware that the lowest price is not always the best deal. Look for a shop that has a reputation for high quality work and a written guarantee.

An estimate of costs should specify:

• what repairs are being done
• whether parts are being repaired or replaced
• whether new or second-hand parts are being used
• whether parts from the original manufacturer or generic parts are being used. If the body shop plans to use generic parts, compare the warranty provided to that offered on parts from the original manufacturer

You have the right to have your vehicle’s damage estimated and repaired at the auto body shop of your choice. When you select the shop, the responsibility for a satisfactory repair job rests with you, not the insurer. Any dispute about the quality of the repair or the collision shop’s guarantee or warranty is a contractual matter between you and the repair shop. So, it is in your best interest to shop carefully for a body shop. Once you have chosen a shop, notify your insurance company.

You have the right to choose a service provider even if you have an adjuster.

The following associations may be approached for a list of their members-in-good-standing in your area:

• Automotive Service and Repair Association
• Motor Dealers Association
• Certified Collision Automotive Repair - the industry quality assurance program

To ensure quality of service, check whether the shop you are dealing with is licensed. A list of licensed shops is available at the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council website.

An insurance company cannot require that your vehicle be repaired at a specific repair shop (for the exception to this, see Step 5 below). However, an insurance company can recommend that the damage be estimated and repaired at a specific repair shop.

When an insurance company states or implies that they guarantee repairs if you take your vehicle to a shop they choose ask about the details of that guarantee and ask to see the written guarantee. Often, an insurance company’s guarantee is actually the shop’s guarantee, and the responsibility for a satisfactory repair job will remain a contractual matter between you and the shop – just as if you had chosen the shop.

In some cases, your insurer may, by giving you a formal notice in writing, exercise its right to repair or replace your vehicle. Insurer’s rarely take this step. However, if your insurer takes this option, it must give you written notice within 7 days after receiving your completed proof of loss claim form (this form is provided to you by your insurance company). 

In such a case, your insurer assumes complete control of the repair process and may have the vehicle repaired where they choose. By doing so, your insurer assumes final responsibility for a satisfactory repair job and must restore the damaged vehicle to its condition prior to the collision with no additional cost, other than stated in the policy or as otherwise allowed by law. In this case, the insurer is responsible for ensuring the quality of either the repairs or the replacement.

Find out who sets the repair standards such as who decides whether the repair has been properly completed. Find out who will re-do the work if you are unsatisfied with the repair.

The shop will ask you to sign a work order authorizing the repairs. Make sure it specifies all the details outlined in the estimate. Any changes or additions to the job and the related costs should be written on the work order. Your signature on the work order means that you are ultimately responsible for the invoiced costs.

Make sure that you understand what your insurance company agrees to pay for before you have the work completed. Find out how your insurer handles supplemental repairs just in case the repair shop finds more damage to your vehicle that was not at the original estimate. You might need to submit an official receipt from the repair shop with your insurance claim.

Once the repairs are done, check them over. You may decide to have an independent party look at them. If you are not satisfied with the repairs, discuss the problem with the body shop manager. If the problem isn’t resolved, notify your insurance company.

There are several methods of paying the bill. You are responsible for paying the amount of the deductible, as noted in your insurance contract. The insurance company may forward to you the rest of the money to pay the body shop. Or the insurance company may pay the shop directly. A third possibility is the insurance company may send a cheque jointly paid to you and the body shop.

Once the shop has been paid, or when the insurance company has confirmed it will pay on your behalf, you can take your vehicle home.