If you have any questions or concerns throughout the claims process you should call your claims representative. If you have any trouble reaching your representative you can always call our call centre and we would be happy to direct you to someone who can assist you. Our 24-hour claims line is 1-866-464-2424. 

The Insurance Act requires us to provide this form to you when your claim is opened. You do not need to fill it out or submit it to us unless your adjuster asks you to do so. There are a few circumstances where completion and submission of the POL form is required, such as in the event you disagree with our assessment, or if the claim limitation (expiry) date is approaching. Most claims are settled and closed without the POL form being completed. Your adjuster can answer any questions you have about the POL.

If you have an emergency situation, your safety is paramount and we encourage you to be very cautious around damaged areas of your home.  If it’s safe to do so, clean up any damage that has occurred and prevent any new damage from occurring (e.g., cleaning up water that has entered your home). Take photos of the damage first and don’t discard any damaged contents. If you require assistance completing emergency repairs, we will send a contractor to protect your home from further damage as much as possible. Your adjuster will work with them to determine repairs required.

If it is safe to do so, complete only emergency repairs necessary to clean up damage or prevent further damage from occurring (see question 2). 

You should wait for an adjuster’s assessment before completing non-emergency repairs to the building. The adjuster needs to be able to gauge the damage and its cause to confirm whether the loss is covered under your policy. 

If you have damaged contents you cannot wait to replace, make sure you keep the damaged item and the receipt for its replacement. We won’t know the item is covered until the adjuster’s assessment, but these tend to be items you would likely replace regardless of whether or not it’s covered. 

We have carefully selected several vendors across Ontario that will provide quality repair to get your car looking and running as it was, or better, before your claim. You can, however, choose to use your own vendor. Your representative will discuss all your settlement options and help guide you through making a decision that suits you best. 

There are dispute mechanisms available in your policy to help settle any disagreements you have with the assessment of your claim.  The first step is to talk to your adjuster about your concerns; they will provide you with direction on what you need to do next.

Our priority is getting you to speak to a customer service representative as soon as possible so that we can get you back to where you were before the claim. Please keep in mind that following major weather-related events, our call volumes are higher than unusual because a greater number of customers are affected.  Our staff will work as quickly as they can to answer your call, assign and adjuster to you and start your claim, but please be patient in anticipation of potential delays.

Your insurance broker (where you purchased your insurance) can answer any questions you have about your premiums.

If your policy provides coverage for replacement, you can choose to replace the item with something of like kind and quality. There are situations where you can replace with an upgraded product, but you will be responsible for any costs over and above what it would have cost to repair or replace the damaged item. You may also have the option of taking a cash settlement and not repairing or replacing the damaged property. 

The options available on your claim depend on the policy and coverage you have as well as who has an interest on the property (e.g., mortgagee or lien holder). Your claims representative will go over your settlement options with you.

The limitation date on your policy specifies how long you have to report your claim from the date you experience a covered loss on your home or car insurance.  It is two years for home insurance claims and varies from one to two years for automobile claims. 

If you had a loss on your home on January 1, 2015, you would have until January 1, 2017, to complete all aspects of your claim, regardless of when you reported the claim to Intact Insurance. 

If your claim will not be completed by the limitation date, you will need to file a statement of claim to protect your ability to pursue your claim beyond this date. Your claim representative will be able to review your policy with you and explain limitation dates to you in detail.

A deductible is the portion you are responsible for paying in the event of a claim. For example, if your car insurance policy has a $1,000 deductible for collision and there are $5,000 in damages, you will pay the first $1,000 and the insurance company will pay the remaining $4,000. 

Usually, this is paid to the vendor who completes the repairs to your vehicle or property. Your adjuster will be able to help you with any questions you may have about your deductible.

A sub limit is the maximum amount available to be paid out on a covered loss. For example, you may have purchased a policy with a $20,000 coverage limit (or sub limit) for water and a $2,500 property deductible. For a claim with $25,000 in damages, you will pay the first $2,500 and we will cover the next $20,000. The remaining $2,500 in repairs will need to be covered by you. 

There are a variety of sub limit and deductible options available to customers. Your adjuster will discuss your particular policy limit with you when reviewing your coverage and explain the options you have available.