Claims - Car or recreational vehicle :

You need to file a police report in the following situations:

• Theft or attempted theft
• Fire
• If a vehicle hits your house

Collision covers damage to your car when it rolls over or is involved in a collision with a person, an animal or an object, including a vehicle. For example, if you’re driving in a parking lot and you hit another car or bump into a lamp post, or if a shopping cart hits your car, the resulting damage is covered by Collision and upset.

For other damages not covered by Collision, your Comprehensive coverage takes over. This protection covers glass breakage and damage caused by theft, windstorm, hail, fire, earthquakes and more.

Uninsured Automobile coverage protects you and your family if you’re injured or killed by a driver who is not insured, or by a hit-and-run driver. It also covers your car if it’s damaged by a driver who’s not insured.

Uninsured Automobile coverage is automatically included in your policy, while both Collision and Comprehensive are optional.

As a policy holder, you are responsible for informing your insurer of any changes made to your vehicle and/or how it is used. This includes things like vehicle modifications, changes in vehicle use (for example, commercial use), the addition of newly licensed drivers to your household, a change of address, etc.

A vehicle modification includes:

• Performance-related modifications, such as upgrading the engine
• Electronic modifications, such as upgrading the stereo
• Cosmetic modifications, such as tinting the windows

Commercial use means any change in use where the insured vehicle is now used for commercial purposes. For example, if you recently became a painter and you started using your mini-van to carry your paint and equipment, this would be considered commercial use.

You should always notify your insurer when any material change, as outlined above, is made to your vehicle. The risk of this change will be re-evaluated and may result in a premium adjustment. If you make any of the changes described above but don’t inform your insurer, the insurer can decide to deny your claim, and may even cancel or void your policy. For example, if you modify your vehicle to give it a turbocharged engine and you end up crashing, you’ll most likely be refused coverage for violating your insurance contract.

Note: If your vehicle has been modified because of a medical condition, you should still notify your insurer.

A deductible is the amount you must pay when you make an insurance claim.

For example, if you have a $500 deductible, you pay the first $500 of the repair costs, and we pay the rest.

Generally speaking, your insurance premium will increase if you’re at fault in an accident, regardless of whether you’re entirely or partially at fault. Tickets and convictions can also affect your insurance premium, depending on the type of offense.

The number of at-fault claims, as well as the number of convictions, and/or the type of conviction (such as impaired driving) that you receive may also impact your eligibility for insurance.

Drivers are subject to what is popularly known as No-fault insurance, which is actually the mandatory Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD) section of their auto insurance policies (not available in Newfoundland and Labrador). With no-fault insurance, drivers are compensated for damages only by their own insurance companies, based on the extent to which the policy holder is responsible for the accident.

To determine responsibility, insurers use the direct compensation for property damage principle found in the Ontario Fault Determination Rules.

It’s always best to repair a chipped windshield as soon as possible, before it develops into a nasty crack. While a chip can usually be fixed, a crack means you’ll most likely have to get the glass replaced, or you’ll be in danger of it shattering at any time, and causing far more serious damage.

If you have Comprehensive coverage, you’re covered for most glass repairs, without having to pay a deductible. Many repair shops will even call your insurer for you, so all you have to do is get it fixed and drive away.

Whether or not the glass can be repaired instead of replaced depends on the size, location and severity of the damage. Most shops can repair quarter-sized chips or cracks up to three inches. However, if the damage is in the corner of the glass, it’s far more difficult to repair, and it can compromise the strength of the glass. Anything from a small, flying object to a strong burst of wind could cause the glass to break, which could potentially lead to a crash.

If the damage is such that you have to get the glass replaced, you will be responsible for paying your deductible. So, before that chip gets any bigger than the head of a nail, look for your local glass repair shop and have a qualified glazer inspect the damage.

Go immediately to your nearest glass repair shop:

• Uniglassplus
• Unipro Auto Glass
• Go Glass
• Crystal Auto Glass
• Speedy Glass
• Apple Auto Glass

If you are covered by an Auto Insurance policy with us, simply show your auto insurance certificate to the glass repair shop and they will contact us to process your claim.

If you’re getting a chip repaired, you won’t have to pay a deductible. In fact, your repair shop may even call us directly and take care of it all for you.

However, if you need to get glass replaced because of more serious damage, you will be subject to a deductible. So, it’s a good idea to get those small chips repaired before they grow into a much bigger problem.