The Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule — known as SABS — is an Ontario regulation that defines the minimum benefits every licensed driver must be able to claim from their own auto insurer after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. It's part of every standard Ontario auto insurance policy, whether or not the policyholder knows it.
The problem is that SABS is long, technical, and full of defined terms that affect eligibility in ways most people don't anticipate. Insurers understand it thoroughly. Most claimants do not. This article is a plain-language summary of what SABS covers and what typically gets missed.
Income Replacement Benefits (IRB)
If you can't work due to accident injuries, IRB pays 70% of your pre-accident gross weekly income, up to a maximum of $400/week under standard coverage (optional enhanced benefits can raise this). The first 104 weeks use a 'unable to do your own job' test; after that, the test tightens.
Medical & Rehabilitation Benefits
Covers treatment, therapy, and rehabilitation costs not covered by OHIP or your extended health benefits. The amount available depends on your injury category: minor injuries have a capped limit, non-minor injuries have a higher limit, and catastrophic injuries have the highest limit.
Attendant Care Benefits
If your injuries require someone to help you with daily tasks — bathing, dressing, mobility — SABS requires your insurer to contribute to those costs. The benefit amount and duration depend on the severity of your injury category.
Caregiver Benefits
If you were the primary caregiver for a child or dependent prior to the accident and can no longer provide that care, you may be entitled to compensation for replacement care costs. This benefit was reduced in 2016 under standard coverage and now applies mainly to catastrophic injuries under the standard policy.
Housekeeping & Home Maintenance
Like caregiver benefits, this was reduced in 2016 and now applies under standard policies mainly to catastrophic injuries. If you purchased an optional enhancement, it may be available for non-catastrophic injuries as well.
The Injury Category Matters More Than You Think
One of the most consequential aspects of SABS is that the available benefits depend heavily on how your injury is classified. Minor Injury (MIG): Soft tissue injuries like sprains, strains, and whiplash. These are subject to a $3,500 treatment cap, which is often exhausted quickly. Non-Catastrophic: More serious injuries that don't meet the catastrophic threshold. Higher limits apply. Catastrophic Impairment: The most serious category — paraplegia, severe brain injury, loss of limb, etc. The highest limits apply and most benefits that were removed in 2016 are reinstated.
Insurers frequently assess injuries as minor when a claimant believes — and medical evidence may support — that they are more severe. Challenging an injury classification is one of the most common dispute types in Ontario accident benefits.
What SABS Does Not Cover
SABS covers benefits from your own insurer. It does not compensate you for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or non-economic losses. Those are tort damages, claimed through a separate lawsuit against the at-fault party. There are threshold requirements in Ontario before non-economic tort damages can be claimed — another area where many claimants lose entitlements without understanding why.
Bottom Line
Most people who have been in an Ontario accident are entitled to more than they receive. The gap between what's available and what gets paid usually comes down to one thing: the claimant not knowing what to ask for. A free review can help identify exactly where that gap exists in your situation.