Starting and working through an Ontario home insurance claim is not something any homeowner wants to do so we make every effort to make the process as efficient and painless as possible.
You can learn more about our insurance claim process here. Looking for a quote for home insurance? Get one here.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions people have about the home insurance claim process in Ontario.
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO MAKE A HOME INSURANCE CLAIM IN ONTARIO?
Each home insurance company in Ontario can choose the time limit in which a person can start a home insurance claim.
Time limits in which a person can make a home insurance claim in Ontario range between 90 days and 12 months after the incident where a loss was suffered.
If you’re a member of Erie Mutual Insurance, you have up to 1 year after the loss to start a claim.
HOW LONG DOES AN INSURANCE COMPANY HAVE TO SETTLE A HOME INSURANCE CLAIM IN ONTARIO?
Typically after a claim has begun, we send a proof of loss form and once that proof of loss form is completed and returned to us we have 60 days to respond to the claim.
HOW LONG DO ONTARIO HOME INSURANCE CLAIMS STAY ON YOUR RECORD?
In Ontario, home insurance claims stay on your record forever.
However, most insurance companies only review the most recent 3-5 years of claims when factoring claims history into their claim process, decisions about rates or deductibles and whether or not they’re willing to accept or maintain your insurance policy.
IS IT WORTH FILING A HOME INSURANCE CLAIM?
There are many scenarios where it makes obvious sense to file a home insurance claim. That’s what insurance is there for!
However, not every loss at home may be worth filing an insurance claim for. A few examples of when it may not make sense to file a home insurance claim:
1. The loss in dollars is less than, the same or not significantly higher than the deductible.
If you’re paying a $1,000 deductible when filing a claim and the total loss was only $750, then it makes more sense to pay the damages out of pocket and leave the insurance company out of it.
2. You have a lot of claims on file already, especially recently.
Too many claims may impact your insurance rate long term or in some extreme examples may cause you to be labeled as “high risk” which jeopardizes your ability to maintain regular insurance.
Your insurance agent should be able to review the situation and help advise on what your best course of action is.
THE TYPICAL HOME INSURANCE CLAIM PROCESS OF ERIE MUTUAL
The majority of home insurance claims begin with a call into our office during regular business hours. Sometimes members will contact their agent directly as their first call for a claim because of the relationship built with the agent as their “go-to” person on their insurance.
We also offer an after-hours third-party claim service for emergencies.
To speed up the process, the first person to speak with the homeowner takes the opening information to enter into our system and get the ball rolling.
From there it is assigned to our claims coordinator so they can collect more details of the claim and assign the adjuster to contact the insured to begin an official claims assessment.
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
