Accidents unfortunately do happen. And hopefully in the wake of such an event no one is hurt. However if you do happen to be involved in an automobile accident and suffer any injuries it’s important to understand your options as far as the insurance coverage is concerned. Particularly if you’re the passenger exactly what is covered and the process through which you may have to go can be a bit unclear. Here is some information that can help you to better understand what’s involved as far as medical expenses and others such fees.
Accident Benefits in Alberta
In Alberta insurers are required to provide accident benefits under car insurance policy plans. What this does is to ensure that in the event of a collision or some such incident both the driver and the respective passengers are covered. This will generally pay for either the bulk or a portion of the costs incurred regardless of who is at fault in the incident.
- Medical Expenses Depending on the nature and severity of your injuries the accident benefits will help to defray the costs. From a hospital stay to doctor’s visits to appointments with specialists and medications the insurance company will cover these expenses up to a point. The total pay out will depend upon the limits of the coverage. Usually in Alberta coverage is $50 000 per person. You also need to pay attention to the timelines and deadlines associated with the policy.
- Lost Wages In light of the degree of injuries sustained you may have to miss work. Accident benefits will help cover the cost of wages lost as a result of a car incident. There are limitations associated with how much and under what conditions you can make a claim for lost wages. You can claim up to 80% of lost wages; however this is capped at $400/week. You also obviously have to be employed at the time of the accident and your injuries must actually preclude you from continuing to work.
The best way to understand what is involved with accident benefits in the event that you’re involved in a crash is to talk to your insurance broker. They can detail the policy limitations review your situation and let you know exactly what to expect.
