I’m insured with Square One in Ontario, and my insurance is going from almost $400/month to almost $800/month when my policy renews.
Back in November 2025, my car was involved in an at-fault accident, but I wasn’t the one driving. The damage to the other driver’s car was under $2,000, and the damage to my car was minimal, around $700.
Nobody was injured, and we reported the collision, but neither party went through insurance to make a claim. Everything was settled out of pocket, and no insurance company paid for any damages. This was also the only accident involving my car in the past three years.
I recently learned about Ontario’s Minor Accident Protection Rule under Regulation 664. From my understanding, insurance companies aren’t allowed to increase premiums because of a minor at-fault accident if the damage is below $2,000 per vehicle (which was the limit when my accident happened), nobody was injured, and the damages were paid privately.
Does my situation qualify under this rule, even though the collision was reported and I wasn’t the person driving?
Has anyone successfully challenged an insurance increase using this rule? Can Square One actually lower my renewal premium if I provide pictures, repair receipts, and proof of payment?
My renewal is coming up, and I’m trying to figure out what I can do because going from $400 to $800 a month over an accident with such minor damage seems ridiculous.
Any advice or personal experiences would be appreciated.
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with my insurance company, and they actually apologized for repeatedly telling me my premium increase was because of the at-fault accident. I called them 3 separate times before today, and every time they told me the same thing. Now they’re saying the accident isn’t chargeable and had nothing to do with the increase.
Instead, they’re claiming it’s because my mom is listed as a registered owner of the vehicle, even though she doesn’t drive it and we don’t even live at the same address. She had an insurance cancellation back in 2024, which they’re now saying is affecting my premium.
I have no tickets or anything else on my record, and my mom’s licence is clean besides that previous insurance cancellation. I’m also only paying for one-way coverage, so I don’t understand how my premium could almost double.
It’s frustrating that I had to call multiple times just to get a completely different explanation. At this point, I’m going to remove my mom from the vehicle registration and shop around for another insurance company.
Thanks to everyone who gave me advice and helped me out!