In the Event of an Accident Outside Québec
If you are a Québec resident and have had a traffic accident outside Québec, we can pay you indemnities for bodily injuries, regardless of whether or not you were at fault.
The SAAQ only compensates you for your bodily injuries, which means…
- It does not cover the injuries you may have caused to others
- It does not cover property damage caused by the accident
It is therefore important to have adequate civil liability insurance when travelling outside the province.
What to do in the event of an accident outside Québec
- Have a police report written up and try to get a copy.
- Write down information concerning the other person and vehicle involved in the accident, such as the person's name and address, the insurer's name, the vehicle make and model and the licence plate number.
- If there are any witnesses, write down their names and addresses.
- Write down all of the details concerning the accident, such as the position of the vehicles before the accident, road conditions, etc.
- Take photos of the scene of the accident: skid marks, injuries, property damage, etc.
If you are involved in an accident outside Québec, never sign any documents or accept any payment before phoning the SAAQ.
If your condition does not allow you to act…
If you are severely injured, the police report completed at the scene of the accident will serve as the main source of information for your private insurer and the SAAQ.
If your condition allows you to act…
Stay at the scene of the accident. Do not discuss the accident with anyone and, above all, refrain from accepting responsibility.
If you have any other questions concerning an accident that occurred outside Québec, contact us during our business hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
At the following numbers:
- In Québec, Canada and the United States: 1 888 810-2525
- Elsewhere in the world: 1 800 463-6890
If you are not hospitalized
See a physician without delay and make sure all of your accident-related symptoms appear in the medical report.
If you are hospitalized
Present your Québec Health Insurance Card when you are admitted to a hospital in any Canadian province or territory.
Hospital expenses will be invoiced to the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). You will be required to pay for the services of health care professionals, whose professional fees will be reimbursed to you based on the rates in effect in Québec.
Before you leave on your trip, check your Health Insurance Card's expiry date and make sure it will remain valid throughout your trip.
If your injuries require a long hospital stay, the SAAQ will take care of you!
You or a person accompanying you or providing for your care must phone the SAAQ so that it can take charge and make arrangements for you to travel back to Québec, if the situation so requires.
In case of an emergency
In Canada, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
1-877-229-0536
Important! This number is reserved for emergency situations that may require rapid Returning the accident victim using special transportation to Québec.
If you have any other questions concerning an accident that occurred outside Québec, contact us during our business hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
At the following numbers:
- In Québec, Canada and the United States: 1 888 810-2525
- Elsewhere in the world: 1 800 463-6890
If you are not hospitalized
See a physician without delay and make sure all of your accident-related symptoms appear in the medical report.
If you are hospitalized
If you are hospitalized and received care or services from health care professionals, the RAMQ will reimburse those expenses.
Get travel insurance before leaving the country
Some hospitals may refuse to treat you without first receiving confirmation that you can pay for the care your condition may require.
Even though some American or European hospitals are familiar with our health insurance system, our automobile insurance plan and our Health Insurance Card, the best way to avoid problems is to carry proof of travel insurance.
If your injuries require a long hospital stay, the SAAQ will take care of you!
You or a person accompanying you or providing for your care must phone the SAAQ so that it can take charge and make arrangements for you to travel back to Québec, if the situation so requires.
In case of an emergency
- In the United States, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
1-877-229-0536
- From anywhere else in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
1-418-528-4579 (collect call)
Important! This number is reserved for emergency situations that may require rapid Returning the accident victim using special transportation to Québec.
If you have any other questions concerning an accident that occurred outside Québec, contact us during our business hours
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
At the following numbers:
- In Québec, Canada and the United States: 1 888 810-2525
- Elsewhere in the world: 1 800 463-6890
If you sustained injuries in the accident, you must report your accident to us as soon as possible.
If you have already paid medical expenses
- Fill out the form entitled Application for Reimbursement – Healthcare services covered outside Québec from the RAMQ . Make sure you enclose all your original supporting documents, such as receipts, with the form.
- When the RAMQ reimburses you, it sends us the supporting documents so that we can pay you the indemnities to which you are entitled under the Automobile Insurance Act.
If you have not yet paid any medical fees
Send us all your supporting documents, such as invoices and receipts, along with your claim for compensation.
Remember to write your claim number on every document.
Possibility of suing a driver who is not a resident of Québec
If you are not responsible for a traffic accident that occurred outside Québec, you may initiate proceedings against the at-fault driver, provided that such legal action is possible under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the accident occurred.
Before initiating legal proceedings…
You must notify the SAAQ of your intentions, since it also has a right of recourse it may decide to exercise.
For any questions or information, call 1-833-834-9621 or send an email to subrogation@saaq.gouv.qc.ca This link opens your default email software..
Last update: June 2, 2025