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After a car accident, your out-of-pocket expenses are a big part of your claim for damages. These damages are often relatively easy to calculate and claim, as long as you start tracking early.
Medical and Rehabilitation Expenses

As an injured person in Ontario, you will likely require health care services that are not covered by OHIP, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, massage, prescriptions, prolotherapy, psychology, vocational rehabilitation, dentistry and in catastrophic cases, additional services such as case management.

If you have extended health care benefits that cover all or some of these services, you will have to submit your expenses to that insurer first.

If you do not have extended health care or if there is a deductible (for example if they only pay 80%) or an annual limit for expenses that you exceed, or a particular service is not covered, you will have access to the medical and rehabilitation policy of the Accident Benefit insurer. You and your treatment providers will make arrangements to have your services paid directly by the Accident Benefit insurer, in most situations.

However, if there are accident-related services that are not covered, you or your lawyer will need to track those expenses to claim them from the at-fault driver. In addition, there is a policy limit for Accident Benefits depending on the severity of the accident (either $100,000 or $1,000,000). Anything over and above the Accident Benefits' limits would also be claimed from the at- fault driver.

Loss of Income

Ontario accident victims are only entitled to 80% of their pre-trial loss of income. They are entitled to 100% of post-trial losses.

If you had a straight salaried position that you can no longer do, it will be relatively easy to calculate your past loss of income. However, you will want to be aware of any raises or bonuses your co-workers received if you would have received the same.

Calculating your loss of income is trickier when your pre-accident work was irregular, your career was on an upward trajectory or market conditions in your position were changing, for better or for worse. It is also more challenging to calculate income loss for people who are self-employed.

If you are retrained to work at another position, the income from your new position will have to be factored into your claim for losses.

It is vitally important to track, calculate, document, and fairly project your loss of income claim and any related loss of a future pension. We commonly use an economist, forensic accountant and / or an actuary to perform these types of calculations.

Other Types of Expenses

Out of pocket expenses for other services you are required to purchase because of your accident should also be tracked. If you cannot drive, for example, because of a cast on your leg, you will have incurred transportation expenses. Records and receipts will be needed to prove those losses. If you were driven by a loved one, a record of that person's time will be important.

If you have to hire a babysitter to look after kids because you cannot take care of them due to your injuries or to get to medical appointments, and you did not qualify for the caregiver benefit under the Accident Benefits, you can claim these expenses from the at-fault driver if you have accurate records and can prove your losses.

An Important Note - Honesty is the Best Policy

No matter what, do not exaggerate your losses in terms of pain and suffering or in terms of out-of-pocket expenses. To do so is the kiss of death for your case. You effectively play into the insurance company's premise that all claimants are fraudsters.

In our office, we repeatedly tell our clients that their number one job is to get better and to return, to the greatest extent possible, to their pre-accident condition. Which means you must admit when your injuries get better and the extent to which they get better. That means admitting that you had a good time on your family vacation that took place after the accident.

Will making this type of admission reduce your settlement or jury award? Yes, it may.

However, your settlement or jury award may be zero if a jury is confronted with a photo of you grinning, sipping a Pina Colada on the beach if you have just stated that you took no vacations since the accident.

And speaking of honesty, it is also extremely harmful to your injury case to hide past accidents or past injuries. Your history comes out in the wash when you pursue an accident settlement, with or without a lawyer. A claimant who is not credible has very little bargaining power.

On the same note, if you are making an income loss claim, your past income tax returns will be relevant and will likely be produced. If your tax returns are not pristine, that can be a problem. Consider fixing any tax issues before embarking on settlement negotiations if possible. Make sure to use a reliable professional to perform this work.