REPORTING A Home INSURANCE CLAIM
- Contact your HMS broker as soon as possible. Or one of the 24-hr claims service numbers listed above.
- We’ll report your claim to your insurance company, or we can send out a restoration company to assess the damage first. They can determine if damage is worth putting in a claim or if it’s covered by your policy, they can also start repairs right away.
- If a claim is submitted a claims adjuster will contact you – generally within the same day to ask more questions about the damage to your home.
- Your insurance company will send out a representative to access the damage and determine the total damage to your home.
- A HMS broker will check on your claims process along the way to make sure everything is going smoothly, but you can always call us if you have concerns.
Reporting a auto insurance claim
- Contact your HMS broker as soon as possible. Or one of the 24-hr claims service numbers listed above. Make sure you get the information of every driver & vehicle involved.
- We’ll ask you some initial questions and report your claim to your insurance company.
- A claims adjuster will contact you – generally within the same day – to ask more questions about the accident and schedule a inspection for your vehicle.
- Your insurance company will arrange the towing of your vehicle, and a shop were repairs can be made. If you prefer to use your own shop, you can do that too.
- If you need a rental vehicle your adjuster can make arrangements for one. Your rental may be covered depending on your policy coverages and the circumstances of your claim.
- A HMS broker will check on your claims process along the way to make sure everything is going smoothly, but you can always call us if you have concerns.
This is a short list of our most frequently asked questions. Click on the + symbol next to each question to see the answer. For more information regarding your claim please contact a HMS office, we would be more than happy to answer any of your questions.
Frequently Asked Auto Questions
Ontario’s insurance law has set fault determination rules as Regulations under the Insurance Act, which these rules cover almost every possible circumstances of a collision. Fault will be determined by the insurance companies based on these rules.
It can depend on a number of factors besides fault. We recommend you contact your insurance company or broker who would be best able to answer this based on your individual situation.
If damage is minor and there are no injuries involved, paying out of pocket could be a solution. Give one of our offices a call so we can review your coverage and deductibles. We can also determine the outcome of your insurance premium after the claim. If there is a third party involved in the accident and they have reported the claim to their insurance company, you must report the claim as well.
Depending on the type of claim will determine which deductible you pay. Comprehensive claims (i.e. fire & theft), collision claims (accidents where you’re at fault), and direct compensation (claim where you are not at fault), will all have there own deductible limits.
This is at the discretion of the police officer taking your report.
Any glass repair shop will look after your windshield repairs and report the claim from their shop, all you’ll need to pay is your comprehensive deductible. These claims will NOT impact your insurance premium, but the insurance company raise your comprehensive deductible if their are numerous claims of this nature.
These claims are classified as “hit and runs” and you are deemed not at fault for the damage, nor will your insurance premium increase. However, this claim will fall under your collision coverage not your comprehensive and may be associated with a larger deductible. You MUST report this claim to an accident reporting center.
It is always your choice. Your insurance company will have some helpful advice for you regarding repair shops and guaranties of the repair quality. Your insurance adjuster will provide one of their preferred repair shops close to you.
A passenger is not generally classified as a witness, rather they are normally classified as an involved person. The witness in a collision is normally an independent witness who has observed the collision event. It is however advisable for passengers to record their observations for future reference.
If you are involved in a not at-fault accident you are entitled to a rental vehicle up to a limit of $800. If the accident is your fault and you require a rental vehicle your policy must include OPCF20 (loss of use), the limits for this coverage vary from policy to policy.