Ontario:

Be aware of the proposed Changes to Accident Benefits which impacts all of us (including our loved ones) when injured in a car crash.

If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident you are entitled to certain benefits which you will rely on for your recovery. These Accident Benefits are paid by you and regulated by the Ontario Government.

In 2010 the Ontario Government permitted insurance companies to dramatically cut these benefits for all accident victims. Now there are more proposed reductions which will severely cut benefits for the most vulnerable victims of car crashes. This will hurt victims' chances to recover from accidents and load additional costs to our already overly burdened health care system.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa recently announced the following proposed changes to the standard benefit level:

-$1 million coverage for medical and rehabilitation benefits and $1 million for attendant care benefits for catastrophically impaired persons to be reduced to half and combined

-Non-catastrophic benefits to be reduced from $86,000 to $65,000

-Medical and rehabilitation benefits for non-catastrophically injured persons will be available for only 5 years instead of 10

-Non-earner benefits (available for students or recent graduates) limited to two years

These proposed changes are unethical, especially considering Ontarians overpaid $840 million in 2013 and $3-4 billion from 2001-2013.

And unless we speak up, changes to our Accident Benefits could continue to take hits. It takes a lot to recover from a serious injury and many will be impaired for the entirety of their lives.

Please sign this petition, pass along, and contact your local MPP.