Safety First
The safety of you and your passengers is the top priority after a collision. Turn off your car and check that everyone is safe. If you feel as though anyone’s safety is at risk, or if someone has been seriously injured, call the police and emergency services right away. Then take a moment to consider your vehicle – are you in an unsafe place; is your car drivable; is anything leaking from the vehicle? If your car can be moved, drive to a place of safety out of the way of traffic.

Who to Call
Once you are in a safe place, call us at (416) 234-9980. One of our brokers will help you through the next steps. After-hours, our voicemail or www.cadeinsurance.com/claims will tell you how to get in touch with us, or your Insurer directly, or you can look at your liability cards which will have your Insurer’s 24/7 claims number.

Gathering Information
Be sure to exchange information with other drivers that are involved in the collision. You should collect their contact information, insurance information (policy number, insurer), and type of vehicle. This needs to happen no matter who is ‘at fault’. If possible, take photos of the vehicles from all angles to help with the claim process.

Collision Reporting Centre & Towing
If the police did not attend the scene of the collision, or attended, but did not make a formal report, you will need to visit a Collision Reporting Centre within 24 hours if your vehicle is safe to drive. If a police report was already created at the scene, you can take your car home or directly to a repair shop.

However, in many cases, it is not safe to drive a car that was recently in a collision. If this is the case, you should arrange for your vehicle to be towed to the Collision Reporting Centre closest to your home or to your preferred auto repair shop. We do not recommend allowing the Tow Truck Operator to choose where your vehicle will be taken. Resources such as www.accsupport.com, or www.cadeinsurance.com/claims can help you select which Collision Reporting Centre is best for you. The tow truck driver should wait at the Collision Reporting Centre while you make your report, and then take you and your vehicle to your home or your preferred repair shop. 

Do not accept any supplementary services from the Tow Truck operator, such as a rental vehicle, before speaking to your broker or insurer. If you must take a rental right away, make sure it is from a large, reputable rental company (eg. Hertz, Enterprise, Discount, Budget, etc.)

Repairs
Once the claim has been reported to your Insurer, an adjuster will be assigned to your claim who will reach out to you to explain next steps about repairing your car.

Insurers often have ‘preferred shops’ which they have vetted for quality and service levels, and who are often able to work more quickly with the Insurer’s claims team. The work done by the Insurer’s preferred shops are typically guaranteed by the Insurer. However, you are completely free to choose where to send your vehicle for repairs.

Once you have chosen a repair facility, you may request they prepare an estimate for the work, but do not sign any work orders or authorize work to begin until you’ve discussed the claim with your insurer. If you are not working with a ‘preferred’ shop, your insurer may first need to send an appraiser to examine your vehicle to approve the garage’s estimate.

During the time your car is under repair, your policy may allow for a rental vehicle, which should be discussed with our office or the adjuster.

In some cases, the cost to repair might surpass the value of the vehicle. If this is the case, your insurance adjuster will contact you to discuss the details of the settlement. When considering ‘a total loss’ of a vehicle, the Insurer’s settlement will be calculated using industry standards and will include evaluation factors such as the comparison of vehicles available in the market of similar age, make, model, and use (km), and remaining salvage value.

Although we hope this is never a situation you find yourself in, remembering these key steps
can help simplify the process and avoid undue stress. The Cade Associates team is here to offer the best advice and service for you and your family, especially in tough times like these. To find out more about your coverage or the procedures you should take following a car accident, email us at clientservices@cadeinsurance.com.

The post You’ve Been in an Accident – Now What? appeared first on Cade Associates Insurance Brokers Limited.

Risk Management and Insurance for Road Groups

For the hundreds of organizations across Ontario concerned with the maintenance and upkeep of roadways, frequent topics of discussion include risk management, loss prevention and insurance.

With respect to road maintenance, the efforts of individual volunteers keep thousands of seasonal and year-round properties accessible. It is critically important that these volunteers, and the property owners they serve, take measures to mitigate loss and minimize risk, and this can include arranging for appropriate and adequate insurance protection.

Many Road Associations have availed themselves of the FOCA Association Insurance Program offered as one of FOCA’s member benefits.
A Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy will respond to claims of bodily injury, property damage and personal injury (libel, slander, wrongful eviction, etc.) to third parties that arise out of the activities and operations of the Association. The CGL policy responds to investigate and defend the claim, and to pay those compensatory damages for which the Association becomes legally liable, up to the limits of the policy. Volunteers acting on behalf of the Association are insured under the policy and are protected by the Association’s CGL policy against any claims brought against them directly as a result of conducting their volunteer duties under the direction of the Association.

In the absence of an Association insurance policy, a third party claiming damage might instead list all property owners on the road, requiring the home/cottage policies of each individual property owner to respond.

It is important to note that property and liability insurance wordings are not standardized. Therefore, property owners on a private road should obtain from their own personal insurance provider written confirmation that their homeowners or cottage insurance policy will provide them with liability coverage, in the event that they are named in a claim arising from an incident occurring on their private or common access road. Some personal property insurance providers in Ontario do not offer this protection. The FOCA insurance policy automatically includes liability protection for the Association’s members ‘in good standing.’

Each road is unique and requires a customized insurance solution. If you have any questions or would like more information regarding insurance for your Road Association, call 1-844-CADE-1ST or www.cadeinsurance.com/foca. FOCA’s Association Insurance Program coverage is also available for lake, cottage, and landowning organizations. Contact Cade Associates to find out more.

With respect to risk management and roads, we do recommend that Associations specifically consider the following:

Contractors
Many Associations hire contractors to provide services throughout the year, including grading and snow removal. The Association should request that their contractor provide a Certificate of Insurance which clearly identifies the Association as an Additional Insured on the contractor’s policy. This ensures that the contractor’s policy will respond to defend the Association if the Association is named in a claim arising out of the contractor’s activities. The Certificate will also provide evidence of the contractor’s insurance limits and coverages. Contractors are able to obtain this certificate normally at no additional charge from their insurance provider. Depending on the nature of the contractor’s work on behalf of the Association, a WSIB ‘Clearance Certificate’ should also be provided by the contractor.

Signage
Signage at roadway entrances that reads ‘Private Road’ can assist in limiting access and use. Appropriate speed signs should be posted along the roadway. Further, signage should be strategically placed in advance of any significant change in the condition of the road, be it a sharp bend, blind corner or hill, or significant drop-off on the roadside.

Fee Collection
Always a difficult Association topic, Insurers strongly recommend against the posting of names of members whose fees are outstanding, to avoid exposure to claims of libel. In the unfortunate event that collection of fees requires further action, the court system (Small Claims Court) offers an alternative to a Collection Agency and minimizes exposure to claims of libel and slander.

Final note: FOCA member Road Associations can access additional resources at www.foca.on.ca (search: road)

The post Risk Management and Insurance for Road Groups appeared first on Cade Associates Insurance Brokers Limited.