Owners of cars with drivers who are at fault (or partially at fault) in a crash often must pay higher insurance premiums if the policy is renewed. However, the insurance company may be unwilling to renew the policy if there are Criminal Code convictions and/or frequent at-fault claims.

In Quebec & Ontario, under the Direct Compensation Agreement between insurers, you will recover the portion of your deductible, to the extent that the other driver was at fault, from your own insurer.

The circumstances of a collision may show that more than one driver was negligent. Each driver's insurance company may then become involved in the settlement based on the degree of responsibility attributed to each person. If there is a dispute about responsibility, court action may be required to resolve it.

Making a claim
If you've been involved in an incident that may result in a claim, contact your broker as soon as possible. In cases of injury in a car crash, theft or break-in, or where the property damage exceeds an amount prescribed by law, the police must be informed promptly as well.

If you have been in an accident:

Step 1
If you've been in a car accident the first thing to do is check for personal injuries, and call the police or 911 as needed. If your car is drivable and you can safety do it, move your vehicle to the side of the road to avoid traffic congestion and for your safety.

• Sketch of the accident scene detailing vehicle positions and any other vital data
• Indicate the damaged locations on each of the vehicles involved
• Note Other party(s): name, address, phone number, driver license No., license plate No., Year/ make/ Model of vehicle, name of insurance company and policy No.
• Include witness information if available.

Step 3 - Preventing further loss
If you are involved in a collision, you are responsible for protecting your vehicle from further loss or damage. Move your car out of harms way (if it can be done safely). Have the vehicle towed to safety if it is not drivable. You cannot abandon a wrecked vehicle to the insurer without the insurer's consent. You must not order repairs, other than those needed for protection of the vehicle from further loss or damage, until the insurer has consented or has had a reasonable time to inspect the damage.

You must not voluntarily assume liability (responsibility) for any accident or settle any claim, except at your own cost.

If you're filing an accident report with the police, make sure to do it within 48 hours of the accident. (In Ontario's Collision Reporting Centres, individuals must report an accident within 24 hours.) Get a copy of the accident report if available, or record the accident number.

Most policies state that a written declaration ("proof of loss") must be made within 90 days of the incident. If you don't make your claim within this time, your insurance company may not be legally bound to honour your claim. In practice, however, most companies will honour a claim made within one year if there is a reasonable explanation of the delay.

It is important not to remove insurance coverage from a vehicle that has been destroyed or stolen before it has been replaced by another vehicle. By doing so, you would be eliminating the benefit provided for the temporary substitute vehicle that you may be operating at the time. In addition, it is often more cost effective to continue an existing policy than to cancel the existing policy and begin a new one soon after.

Preventing Theft
Protecting your car against theft is important in some regions more than others. In particular, in and around Montreal, auto theft has remained a serious problem for many years. In addition to region, a key consideration is the make & model of vehicle.

To combat auto theft insurers are using a number of tools. One of the most effective and recommended devices is the Boomerang vehicle-tracking system which is available in a number of configurations depending on your preferences.  Another effective method is to have all major components of your vehicle engraved by a including the glass.  There are a number of reputable providers of this service.

Please contact us prior to selecting your new vehicle. We can advise you on premium levels and theft protection requirements.

• Driver(s) Profile: includes age, gender, number of years of driving experience
• Claims Record: Number and type of claims. Some insurers will ask for 10 years of claims history to determine rates
• Year, Make and Model of Vehicle: Specifically, the current insured value, that vehicle's theft potential, related repair costs, likelihood of being in an accident (statistically sports cars may have a higher accident rate than minivans)
• Territory: Where you live. Generally more congested areas are rated higher for collision and theft potential
• Vehicle Use: Pleasure use only, driven to and from work, used also for business purposes represent increasing more time on the road and is rated accordingly.
• Financial Stability: In the same way that financial institutions assess credit worthiness before extending credit in various forms to their customers, insurance companies rely on similar information which, for many clients, can result in lower premiums
• Multi-Policy Discount: This is one of the easiest premium discount options available in terms of eligibility.  Some insurers will give a certain discount if a client insures their home and auto with them.  The discount can apply on both policies and yield interesting premium reductions.