Report a claim
Your broker and ICPEI are there to help you during this difficult time. Your first step is to contact your ICPEI broker. Your broker will have all the details of your insurance coverage and will record the details of the claim you're filing.
Depending on what type of damage you’re reporting, there are different steps to follow when filing a claim.
Automobile claims
When an accident occurs, it’s very important to first ensure your safety by assessing the additional risks at the accident scene. For example, risks arise from poor visibility from fog or snow or from downed power lines. Please remain in your vehicle to prevent further injury or being struck by other vehicles until you have had an opportunity to assess the risks around you.
If injuries are involved, immediately contact emergency personnel by calling 911.
If it’s safe to exit your vehicle and it’s determined that no one is hurt, if possible, obtain the name, address, phone number, vehicle plate number and insurance particulars of all people involved in the accident.
The accident should also be reported to police under any of the following circumstances:
- the collision results in injury or death
- there is a dispute in liability
- the damage is the result of “hit and run”
- a driver is impaired
- the vehicles require towing from the scene
At the accident scene, determine whether there are any witnesses and obtain their names, addresses and phone numbers. Also, if a police officer has attended the scene, if possible, obtain the police file number and the officer’s name.
Report all of the above information to your ICPEI insurance broker during regular business hours or call 1-866-404-2734, where you can leave contact information for a claims adjuster who will be happy to advise you further on your auto claim.
Property claim
A property loss, whether it’s personal or commercial can be a stressful and time-consuming event. At ICPEI, our professional and knowledgeable adjusters have years of experience, which will minimize the stress in assessing and settling a claim.
In the event of a property loss, it’s important to immediately contact those individuals necessary to prevent further loss such as:
- the fire department in the case of a fire
- plumber in the case of water loss
- police in the event of theft or vandalism
If your property has been damaged, you should take steps as soon as possible to prevent further damage by covering broken windows, securing broken doors, etc. You may remove your contents to another location to avoid further damage. Taking these extra steps will not hinder the settlement of your claim.
Don’t throw away any damaged property before your adjuster arrives. The adjuster needs to see all the damage, so he or she can make an accurate calculation of your loss. After the loss of your property or belongings has been assessed, your adjuster will advise you on how to get repairs completed and/or belongings replaced.
In the event you experience a property loss you should contact your ICPEI insurance broker during normal business hours or after-hours call 1-866-404-2734 to speak directly with an experienced adjuster who will guide you through filing and processing the claim.
Once the claim is reported, an adjuster will follow up by contacting you to inspect the damage. In most cases you can expect to hear from an adjuster within four business hours of reporting the claim.
Tips for minimizing property damage
- To prevent a loss of life and property due to a fire, it’s important to have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. It’s also important to have a planned escape route for your family.
- To prevent water/sewer escape it’s also important to know where the main water shut off is located in your home. To prevent and/or reduce sewer escape it’s important to have a back-flow valve installed in the sewer line.
- It’s a good idea to keep receipts of major purchases because it makes it easy to determine the value of your belongings should they be damaged or destroyed.
- It’s recommended that you periodically take a video or photos of the interior of each room in your home. This provides a permanent record of the contents in the event of an unfortunate loss.
- If away from home for more than 72 hours, the policy requires a competent person to inspect the home daily to prevent freezing and subsequent water damage.