Take Action Burlington

Our climate is changing, and our weather is becoming warmer, wetter and wilder.

Earlier this month, local programs and tips to increase your resilience to rain events were highlighted. Now we are turning our focus to insurance.

Ask yourself, if a significant rain event were to occur today and your home or car was damaged, will your insurance cover the damages? If you don’t know the answer or are unsure, this post is for you.

Understanding the basics of insurance

Check your insurance coverage

Don’t wait until you experience damage! Review your current coverage now and your renewals each year as coverage and deductibles can change. If you have any questions, contact your insurance representative.

Water related coverage

• Indoor plumbing leaks from burst pipes, malfunctioning taps or appliances, improper connections, or hot water tank failures are usually covered. The source of the damage though, such as the repair of the malfunctioning appliance, is not covered.
  
  
• Water entering through the roof and damaging your contents inside your home is usually covered unless the roof was poorly maintained. Once again, repairing the source of the damage, in this case the roof, is generally not covered.
  
  
• Other flood related coverage where available is often optional. Water related damages that came from outside your home often occurs in the following ways:
  • Overland flooding enters your home at ground level or seeps in through windows, doors and walls. Coverage is often optional and may be limited. Overland flooding includes:
    • Overflow of nearby water bodies like creeks
    • Surface water from heavy rain or snow melt
    • Ground water or the rising water table
  • Sewer backup caused by the sudden backup of sewers, pipes, drains, septic systems and sump pumps. Coverage is optional and may be limited.
  • Storm surge damage is not covered.

Other coverage

• Damage to homes from hail and wind events are generally covered in standard policies.
• Ice dam damage caused by build-up of ice on your roof and eaves is generally not covered. Optional coverage could be added to your policy.
• Burst pipes due to freezing temperatures could be covered if you’re not away during the heating season.
• Spoiled food due to accidental power disruption is usually insured up to a specific limit.
• Cost of alternative living arrangements: If you need to move out of your home due to the damage by flooding, fire, etc., you could be covered but there is often an upper limit for cost.
• Renters, ensure you have tenant’s insurance which will cover your personal belongings if damaged including potentially the cost of additional living expenses. Check your policy for coverage.
• Wind, hail, ice or water damage to vehicles is usually covered if you have comprehensive or all-perils auto insurance coverage.

Making a claim

• Document everything
  • Take photos and make notes of damaged, destroyed or lost items. Keep all damaged material until it has been assessed by someone sent from your insurance company (unless it poses a health hazard or is dangerous).
  • Save ALL receipts for ALL expenses after an event.
• Report the incident (theft, accident, or property damage) as soon as possible to your insurance representative. Once your claim is filed, a claims specialist or adjuster will contact you and help explain your next steps (assess damage and prepare estimated costs of repairs). If your claim is approved, you often have a choice between using your own contractor or one connected with your insurance company. With either option, find out if the repair work is warrantied. For any work carried out by your own contractor, provide the estimate to your insurance adjuster before the work starts to know how much will be covered by your insurance.

Resources

To understand your insurance coverage and the stages of the claims process, contact:

• Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC (1-844-227-5422), Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, or email ONCIC@ibc.ca

This post was put together using the following sources.

• Water damage. Are you protected?
• Wind and tornado protection
• Flood and storm protection
• Hurricane and Tropical Storm Protection
• Flooding and Insurance
• Hail and insurance
• Severe Weather Insurance Help

Take Action Burlington! Review your insurance documents and contact your insurance provider to discuss your coverage before you are impacted by our warmer, wetter and wilder weather.