If you are a resident of Quebec and own and drive any kind of vehicle, the chances are you have had to deal with the SAAQ. The SAAQ, which stands for Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, is the governing body that ensures road safety and deals with any kind of disputes that occur on the roads of Quebec.
However, the SAAQ can be difficult to deal with, especially if you have to dispute a decision they have made. Luckily, there are things that you can do in order to appeal decisions and get the compensation you deserve. Although you should always seek legal advice in these situations, we created this guide to help you get the ball rolling if you are considering contesting an SAAQ decision.
Who can contest an SAAQ decision?
Anyone can contest an SAAQ decision if they feel as though the final verdict is unjust. If your request has either been rejected or you are not happy with the ruling, you are within your rights to send in an application for review.
The SAAQ deals with a variety of issues related to road safety, including:
- Driver licenses
- Vehicle registration
- Traffic accidents
- Traffic tickets
- Transportation of goods
Hire a specialized SAAQ lawyer
What is the deadline for contesting an SAAQ decision?
The deadline for contesting a decision made by the SAAQ is 60 days after you have received the initial verdict. The application for review must include any additional documents that you feel will benefit your case. This includes medical reports, incident reports, cost of care proof, etc. You should begin to collect all convincing evidence as soon as possible in order to have everything together before your 60-day appeal period is up. You then have to send everything off to your review officer within the allotted time.
Challenging a ruling made by the SAAQ
What are the steps in contesting a decision by the SAAQ?
The dispute process can be extremely stressful due to the pressure to get your application underway as soon as possible, whilst also collecting all relevant evidence in addition to trying to decipher the legalities of the situation. In order to help you better understand the submission of your application for review process, we created this step-by-step guide with everything you need to do.
Read the initial decision
The first thing that you need to do before jumping straight into the appeal process is properly read the initial decision that you have been sent. This is an extremely important step as it will inform everything that you do from this point onwards. Take the time to read the explanation of the administrative tribunal to understand what you need to do going forward in order to win your appeal.
By reading their explanation, you will get a better understanding of why they made their initial decision which will hopefully give you an idea of how to approach your appeal. You’ll know what kind of evidence you need to include this time, if you made administrative mistakes, you will be able to identify and change them during the appeal process, etc. Properly reading the initial decision will ensure that you have the best possible chance of successfully contesting the decision.
Gather your evidence
Once you have dedicated time to reading through your initial decision letter, you should have a better idea of the type of evidence you need to collect. Since you only have 60 days to send off your appeal, you should begin to collect your evidence as soon as possible.
Take the time to contact relevant professionals such as medical professionals, police officers, people involved in the incident, and employers to gain your compensation file. Gathering as much evidence as possible is key to winning your case. However, liaising with everyone and obtaining the information you need can be difficult, which is why it is wise to work alongside a professional lawyer who can help you navigate this process.
Submit the application
The previous two steps are planning steps that are essential if you want to increase your chances of a successful appeal, but now comes the actual submission of the application. Most people choose to use the online service for contesting decisions because it is fairly self-explanatory.
You have three main choices when it comes to submitting the application. You can either download the form from the SAAQ website, call them to get the form mailed to you, or visit a service centre to pick up a form in person. Then, you have to fill out the form and submit it online, fax it or send it by mail.
Processing the application and decision
Once you have sent off your application, the SAAQ has a 90-day time limit to make their decision on your appeal. Although most cases are deliberated on within the 90-day period, if you decide to send additional evidence in at a later date, or your review officer requests additional evidence from you, the 90 days will start again from the time when you submit these extra documents.
Once your application has been sent off, you will be contacted by your review officer within 10 days in order to ensure they properly understand the nature of your application/appeal. This step is designed to give you the opportunity to present your appeal outside of the parameters of the form. After you have spoken to your review officer, they will look over your case to make a final decision. You will receive the decision by mail.
Specialized SAAQ lawyers
The process of appealing a decision made by the SAAQ is extremely stressful, especially for cases of traffic accident victims or road victims that require compensation. The last thing you need after such a traumatic experience is the stress of dealing with the SAAQ. That is why hiring a specialized SAAQ lawyer is highly recommended.
At Accident Solution, we have lawyers who regularly deal with SAAQ cases, so they know how to handle the entire process. There are numerous types of compensation that you could be owed, including compensation for loss of income, injuries, adaptations to your home, or emotional distress, which we can help you obtain. Working alongside our lawyers will make the entire process much easier. We know the system and understand what needs to be done, how to collect relevant documents and evidence, and how to win a case.
