Property damage protection from belairdirect, also known as liability car insurance coverage
Car accidents can happen to anyone. But nobody’s perfect, even behind the wheel. Protect those around you with liability auto insurance from belairdirect. You try your best to stay safe on the road. However, accidents happen, and you could find yourself responsible. Protect yourself as well as others on the road with liability insurance coverage that could compensate those affected by an accident where you are found responsible.
Get peace of mind with liability auto insurance coverage from belairdirect
What is liability car insurance coverage?
Liability insurance could protect you if you are found liable for injuring somebody, causing damage to someone else’s property, or another vehicle while driving.
An insurance agent can recommend the right amount of coverage that you may need and give you more information.
What is the difference between liability insurance and other types of car insurance coverage?
The biggest difference between liability insurance and other types of car insurance coverages is that liability coverage protects your from being liable for everything around you, as opposed to your vehicle.
What happens if someone hits my car and I only have liability insurance?
If you decided to purchase liability-only insurance, damage to your vehicle will not be covered in an at-fault accident. Property damage that was caused by in an accident or bodily injury to people could be covered, but you would not be compensated for damages caused to your vehicle.
In no-fault provinces, an insurance policy contains provisions for damages to your vehicle when you are not at fault and the other party is identified.
Is liability car insurance coverage mandatory in Canada?
Yes, liability insurance coverage is mandatory for all vehicle owners in Canada. They are expected to have insurance coverage in place to cover the costs of an injury or property damage caused by an at-fault accident.
Each province or territory has a minimum amount of liability coverage required by law. Talk to an insurance agent to see what amount of liability insurance coverage is right for you.
What does auto liability insurance coverage cover?
Depending on which province you live and drive in, auto liability coverage could protect you from paying damages caused by an at-fault accident. Click on your province to see what types of damages are covered where you live.
Liability insurance could cover the costs of damages caused by an accident you are found to be responsible for in Alberta. These types of damages are categorized as:
Property damage: In the event of an at-fault accident, liability insurance could help cover the cost of the damages caused to another person’s personal property from the accident. Personal property can include both their home and their car.
Bodily injury: Should someone be injured in an at-fault accident, liability insurance could help cover medical expenses and loss of wages caused by the incident.
Liability insurance covers the costs of damages caused by an accident you are found to be responsible for. These types of damages are categorized as:
Property damage: In the event of an at-fault accident, liability insurance could help cover the cost of the damages caused to another person’s personal property from the accident. Personal property can include both their home and their car.
Bodily injury: Should someone be injured in an at-fault accident, liability insurance could help cover medical expenses and loss of wages caused by the incident.
Liability insurance covers the costs of damages caused by an accident you are found to be responsible for. These types of damages are categorized in Quebec as:
Property damage: In the event of an at-fault accident, liability insurance will help cover the cost of the damages caused to another person’s personal property from the accident. Personal property can include their home.
Does liability insurance cover my car if someone else’s car hits mine in Alberta?
Liability insurance does not cover your car in the event of an at-fault accident. Liability insurance specifically covers damages caused to other cars, property, and even people.
Damage to your vehicle could be covered by collision coverage or replacement cost coverage if it’s included in your insurance policy.
What happens if I cause an accident and the other driver makes a liability insurance claim?
In the event that you are in an accident, regardless of who is at-fault, both parties will need to fill out an accident report and file a claim with their respective insurance companies.
The insurance companies will then determine which parties are at-fault, and to what extent each is responsible by using the Fault Determination Rules from the Canada Insurance Act. These rules provide diagrams for up to 40 different accident scenarios that can be applied to almost any real-world situation.
Once a ruling is made to determine who is at-fault, the appropriate coverages will be used to pay for damages. If you were found to be at-fault, your insurance company would be the one to pay out liability insurance benefits to the affected parties. In certain scenarios, fault may be shared amongst the parties involved.
Should you feel that the ruling was incorrect and disagree with it, you can contest the decision by bringing the matter to your insurance company’s complaint officer.
Does liability insurance cover my car if someone else’s car hits mine?
In a not at-fault accident, your car could be covered by Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD). Liability insurance specifically covers damages caused to property and people.
Damage to your vehicle could be covered by collision coverage or replacement cost coverage if it’s included in your insurance policy.
What happens if I cause an accident and the other driver makes a liability insurance claim in Ontario?
In the event that you are in an accident, regardless of who is at-fault, both parties will need to fill out an accident report and file a claim with their respective insurance companies.
The insurance companies will then determine which parties are at-fault, and to what extent each is responsible by using the Fault Determination Rules from the Ontario Insurance Act, which is used in provinces with a no-fault insurance system. These rules provide diagrams for different accident scenarios that can be applied to almost any real-world situation.
Once a ruling is made to determine who is at-fault, the appropriate coverages will be used to pay for damages if the thresholds have been met under Ontario law.
If you were found to be at-fault, your insurance company would be the one to pay out liability insurance benefits to the affected parties. In certain scenarios, fault may be shared amongst the parties involved.
Should you feel that the ruling was incorrect and disagree with it, you can contest the decision by bringing the matter to your insurance company’s complaint officer or to court. Courts or arbitrators often will make the liability rulings if the insurance companies don’t agree.
Does liability insurance cover my car if someone else’s car hits mine?
In a not at-fault accident, your car could be covered by Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD). Liability insurance specifically covers damages caused to property and people.
Damage to your vehicle could be covered by collision coverage or replacement cost coverage if it’s included in your insurance policy.
Does liability insurance cover my car if someone else’s car hits mine in Quebec?
Liability insurance does not cover your car in the event of an at-fault accident in Quebec.
What happens if I cause an accident?
In the event that you are in an accident, regardless of who is at-fault, both parties will need to fill out an accident report and file a claim with their respective insurance companies.
The insurance companies will then determine which parties are at-fault, and to what extent each is responsible by using the Driver’s Fault Chart from the Direct Compensation Agreement (DCA). This chart provides accident scenarios that can help determine who is at fault, and to what extent.
Once each party’s responsibility has been determined, the appropriate coverages will be used to pay for damages. The appraiser will assess the degree of liability in an accident and will establish, where applicable, the compensation to be paid. Compensation will reflect your liability in the accident and the coverage you purchased.
The DCA only covers physical damages, which means that it doesn’t apply to bodily injuries that occur because of an accident. In such a scenario, the SAAQ would cover and compensate for the injuries.
Protect those around you with liability car insurance coverage from belairdirect
Liability insurance coverage varies from province to province, and certain aspects may be not be the same across Canada. Talk to a belairdirect insurance agent to learn the details of what liability insurance can cover your home province.
Invest in coverage that gives you peace of mind and could protect you from paying for a lawsuit in the event of a costly at-fault accident.
Frequently asked questions about
liability car insurance coverage
1 - What is a policy?
A policy is a binding contract that outlines all the coverage you’re getting from an insurance company.
2 - Do I need to have car insurance?
Yes. If you own a car, you must have a minimum amount of insurance. It's the law.
3 - What is considered property damage?
Property damage means damage to or destruction of property.
4 - What do I do if there is damage to my car?
Here are some steps to follow, whether your car has suffered a minor fender bender or major structural damage. Make sure you're safe and that your car is not a danger for others, then gather all the necessary information you need to begin the claim process.
- Take a moment to check that you and any passengers in your car haven’t been injured. Your health is the most important thing to consider.
- If your car is still drivable, move your vehicle to a safe location out of traffic right away.
- Even if you think you may be responsible, do not make a decision in the moment that may cost you money later.
- You and the other driver should provide each other with your name, address, telephone number, driver's licence number, insurance company name and policy number, and year/make/model of vehicle.
- Look for witnesses. If someone saw your accident, you may want to want to ask if you can contact them to support your version of events.
- Report it to the police. In cases where the damage is slight and no one was hurt, many people think it’s not important to report the incident. But if there is any damage at all, reporting it to the police is a good rule of thumb.
- Get to the nearest repair shop. In most cases, if your vehicle cannot be driven, a tow truck is legally obligated to bring it to the nearest Collision Reporting Centre. You can contact us from there to talk about your next steps, including taking your car to a repair shop from our Rely Network®.
- Contact us as soon as possible. We can confirm your insurance coverage, tell you if you're entitled to any services or to a rental car, and recommend a preferred repair shop. You can reach a belairdirect claims representative at 1 877 270.9124, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Only fix what needs to be fixed. Please contact us before making any other repairs.
5 - I've been in an accident and the other person offered to pay for the damages. Should I let them?
We strongly recommend that you let your insurance companies settle your claims. We've seen private settlements end badly in the past, because problems can definitely come up. You could be left to foot the bill and you'd have no way of then claiming it through your insurance company. Your best bet is to let us deal with everything in a fair and equitable way.