Housekeeping & Home Maintenance Expenses

When you’re involved in a serious car accident, even everyday chores like cleaning, cooking, or shovelling snow can become overwhelming. In Ontario, the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) exists to provide different types of support to victims of motor vehicle collisions. One integral benefit is Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Expenses, which help injured people pay for assistance with tasks at home that they can no longer perform.

These benefits are valuable because they can ease the burden on both the injured person and their family/friends while they recover. Unfortunately, sometimes insurers try to deny or limit the amount of housekeeping or home maintenance benefits you can recover to save on costs. When this happens, Preszler Injury Lawyer’s Accident Benefits lawyers can help you pursue the compensation you truly deserve.

For assistance claiming housekeeping or home maintenance benefits after a motor vehicle accident, contact our law firm today. You can call 1-888-608-2111 or fill out our online contact form to get started.

What Are Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Benefits?

Housekeeping and home maintenance benefits are a form of coverage offered under Ontario’s Statutory Accident Benefits. They are offered to all drivers, regardless of fault, under the province’s mandatory auto-insurance policy when motor vehicle accidents occur.

Housekeeping and home maintenance benefits reimburse the costs of hiring someone to handle the household chores or maintenance tasks you performed before your accident and injury. Some examples of tasks covered by this benefit include:

• Cleaning floors, dusting, and laundry.
• Grocery shopping and meal preparation.
• Yard work, mowing the lawn, or shovelling snow.
• General home upkeep and maintenance.
• And more.

These are meant to help accident victims maintain a safe and livable home environment when their injuries prevent them from doing so themselves. It is important to note the difference between housekeeping and maintenance benefits and caregiver and attendant care benefits:

• Caregiver Benefits: Compensated injured people for the cost of replacing their child care care duties.
• Attendant Care Benefits: Cover costs for the care of the injured person directly.
• Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Benefits: Cover expenses related to maintaining a livable environment at the accident victim’s home.

These benefits are only payable through reimbursement. As a result, receipts and proof of payment may be required in order for your expenses to be covered.

Who Qualifies for Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Benefits?

Under standard auto insurance policies, housekeeping and home maintenance benefits are only available if the injured person has suffered a catastrophic impairment or if purchased as an optional benefit. Examples of injuries classified as catastrophic under the SABS include:

• Paralysis
• Severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Major amputations
• And more

In such cases, these benefits will provide up to $100 per week for reasonable and necessary expenses. Housekeeping and home maintenance may be payable for the rest of the claimant’s life if their impairment is deemed catastrophic. The insurance adjuster affiliated with your provider will assess the severity of your injury as well as which expenses they deem to be “reasonable and necessary”.

If you decide to purchase optional, additional coverage for your auto insurance policy, you may be able to extend housekeeping and home maintenance benefits to non-catastrophic injuries.  These may include broken bones, head injuries, psychological injuries, soft tissue injuries, and more. You may recover up to $100/week for up to 2 years after your accident for non-catastrophic injuries.

Some examples of eligible claimants Preszler Injury Lawyers has helped include:

• A parent who can no longer cook, clean, or maintain their family home.
• An older adult who can no longer shovel snow or perform yard work due to their injuries.
• Anyone who was previously responsible for household duties but was unable to continue after their accident.

The Application Process for Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Benefits

There are a number of steps you will have to complete to apply for housekeeping and home maintenance benefits:

1. Notify your insurer of your intent to claim Accident Benefits within 7 days of your accident.
2. Submit your Application for Accident Benefits, also known as the OCF-1 Form, as well as your OCF-6 Form, within 30 days of receiving them from your insurer.
3. Provide medical documentation proving that you have sustained a catastrophic impairment (or proof of your optional coverage if your injuries are non-catastrophic).
4. Provide receipts and proof of payment for all expenses you have paid in relation to housekeeping and home maintenance.

Unfortunately, sometimes your insurer will try to delay, deny, or minimize your accident benefits. In these cases, you may be eligible for additional recovery options. With the help of an Accident Benefits lawyer, you may be able to appeal your insurer’s original decision.

If this method fails, you may also pursue a civil lawsuit for housekeeping and home maintenance expenses against the driver who was at fault for your accident. We highly recommend that you pursue this avenue for compensation, as it can provide coverage far beyond the $100/week SABS cap, depending on your circumstances and losses.

Contact Preszler Injury Lawyers Today For Assistance With Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Benefits

In Ontario, insurers may present significant obstacles when you try to obtain Accident Benefits. They may dispute whether your injury qualifies as catastrophic, refuse to cover costs if you did not purchase optional benefits, or reject receipts for expenses they deem “unreasonable”.

Whatever difficulties you are facing, Preszler Injury Lawyers can help. We can help clients who are applying for housekeeping and home maintenance benefits by:

• Proving their catastrophic impairment through medical evidence
• Ensuring they provide proper documentation of services and expenses paid for.
• Pursue additional compensation through lawsuits, if appropriate.
• Navigate disputes with insurers and represent clients at the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT)
• And more.

If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident and can’t manage your household duties, Preszler Injury Lawyers can help you secure housekeeping and home maintenance benefits. Call 1-888-608-2111 for a free consultation now.