Nov 4, 2026
In December 2024, Nancy Buckman was making a left turn on a yellow light right near Toronto’s Fairview Mall when a speeding car slammed into her. The people inside had allegedly just robbed a jewelry store, and they drove away after the crash.
Almost two years after the collision, the 68-year-old nurse practitioner received and opened a 10-page invoice issued by the City of Toronto. It was a bill for more than $40,000 to replace a pole knocked down in the collision.
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“I was actually in total shock, a complete shock,” she said.
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The city billed her instead of the fleeing driver because she was turning left. That detail matters more than most Ontario drivers realize, and it can shape what you pay long after the dents are fixed.
Why was the injured driver billed for the pole?
The notice arrived in late July with an Aug. 22 deadline, and warned that failure to pay could result in court action and a suspended licence.
When Buckman pushed back, the city dropped the deadline but not the charge. The assessment cited a police collision report concluding she had failed to yield the right of way to the fleeing vehicle. After some back-and-forth, her insurer agreed to pay the bill in full because she had been found at fault. The city advises anyone receiving this type of bill to forward it directly to their insurer.
Her own costs didn’t end there. A neck injury that resulted from the accident forced Buckman into early retirement, ending a 40-year nursing career at Toronto General Hospital.
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How do Ontario’s fault rules decide who’s to blame?
Insurers do not determine fault on an individual, case-by-case basis. They apply the Fault Determination Rules, a regulation under Ontario’s Insurance Act.
According to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA), the provincial agency that regulates insurance, the rules use diagrams covering more than 40 accident situations. They apply regardless of road conditions, weather, visibility or the point of impact.
One of the bluntest rules governs left turns. Under Rule 12(5), when a driver turns left in the path of an oncoming vehicle, the turning driver is 100% at fault. The diagram ignores why the other car was speeding.
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Police charges don’t settle fault, either. FSRA notes that being charged with an offence doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be found at fault for insurance purposes, and not being charged doesn’t clear you.
What does an at-fault finding cost you?
An at-fault finding goes directly on your insurance record. If you’re found 50% or more at fault, FSRA says there’s a good chance your premium will rise at renewal. Expect to pay your full deductible unless you’re found completely or partially not at fault.
Damage to external property, like a city pole, is covered under third-party liability. Ontario’s legal minimum is $200,000, though most policies start at $1 million. A $40,000 bill fits standard coverage, but crashes with multiple vehicles or injuries can quickly exceed minimum limits.
Injury coverage has also shifted. As of July 1, 2026, only standard medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits remain mandatory for new policies. If you opted out of income replacement at renewal, an injury like Buckman’s could hit your paycheque with nothing to cushion it.
What to do now
- Check your liability limit. If you carry the $200,000 minimum, ask your broker what it costs to increase coverage to $1 million or $2 million
- Review your accident benefits. If you renewed after July 1, 2026, confirm whether you kept optional income replacement, especially if you rely on job income
- Report crashes quickly. FSRA requires drivers to report any collision to their insurer within seven days
- Never ignore a third-party bill. Forward it to your insurer right away and keep copies of everything
- Question the fault finding. Ask your adjuster which rule applied. If they won’t reconsider, escalate to the insurer’s complaint officer
- Gather evidence. Dashcam footage, photos and witness names help you check whether the right diagram was used
- Rethink the yellow-light turn. Under existing rules, waiting it out is often the cheaper path
It turns out that Buckman’s insurer ultimately paid the city’s bill. That’s the real lesson in her story: when the invoice arrived two years after the crash, the coverage she had chosen years earlier was what stood between her and a $40,000 debt.
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Amy Tokic is an SEO content editor for Money.ca. She holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Windsor. Amy is an award-winning author and has been writing professionally for 15 years, publishing articles in the lifestyle and health sectors.
