Section 3 pays no-fault accident benefits to anyone injured in a motor-vehicle accident (driver, passenger, pedestrian, cyclist), without regard to who caused the accident. The benefits are specified in the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule, O. Reg. 34/10 under the Insurance Act.
Core categories of benefit (under the current SABS framework):
- Income Replacement Benefit (IRB): weekly payments to an insured whose injury renders them substantially unable to perform the essential tasks of their employment.
- Non-Earner Benefit (NEB): weekly payments to insureds (typically students or unemployed) who suffer a complete inability to carry on a normal life.
- Caregiver Benefit: weekly payments where the insured was the primary caregiver to a dependant immediately before the accident and is no longer able to do so. Outside the catastrophic impairment category, this is typically available only if the optional benefits package was purchased.
- Medical and Rehabilitation Benefits, coverage for treatment assessments, and rehabilitation up to category-specific limits. Limits differ for minor injuries, non-catastrophic injuries, and catastrophic impairment designations.
- Attendant Care Benefit: pays for personal care assistance the insured needs because of the injury, tracked through Form 1 assessments.
- Death and Funeral Benefit: lump-sum payment on death of an insured to specified family members, plus a funeral expense limit.
The category that controls limits is the impairment classification. Catastrophic impairment (defined exhaustively in the SABS, e.g., specific spinal-cord, brain, amputation, and Glasgow Outcome Scale criteria) unlocks substantially higher medical/rehabilitation and attendant-care limits. Minor injury (sprains, strains, WAD I/II without serious impairment) is subject to the Minor Injury Guideline treatment cap.
Because dollar limits in the SABS have been amended repeatedly (and "optional benefits" change what limits apply), do not memorize current dollar figures from older sources. Confirm them against the current O. Reg. 34/10 text on e-Laws.
Common mistake: assuming accident benefits depend on fault. They do not. SABS is "no fault" by design. Fault enters only for liability (Section 2) and for DCPD allocation under the Fault Determination Rules.
🧠 Memory hook, "IRB / NEB / CG / Med-Rehab / AC / DF": six benefit categories the broker must be able to name and explain at a high level.
Recall: What does "no-fault" mean in the SABS context? Which impairment classification unlocks the highest medical/rehabilitation limits?