Updated: April 2025  |  bremo.io financial guides

Canada Insurance Claims: How to File & What to Expect

Filing an insurance claim can be stressful, particularly when it follows a loss event like a house fire, car accident, or serious illness. Understanding the claims process before you need it reduces confusion and helps ensure you receive the full benefit you're owed. This guide covers how to file home, auto, and life insurance claims in Canada.

General Principles for All Insurance Claims

Regardless of insurance type, several principles apply universally:

• Notify your insurer promptly — Policies require timely notification; delayed reporting can complicate or void claims
• Document everything — Photos, receipts, police reports, medical records — preserve all evidence of the loss
• Mitigate further loss — You have an obligation to prevent additional damage (board up broken windows, remove water, etc.)
• Cooperate with the insurer — Provide requested information and cooperate with adjusters

Home Insurance Claims

For a home insurance claim: call your insurer's 24-hour claims line immediately. Document the damage with photos and video before any cleanup. List all damaged contents with approximate values and ages. An adjuster will be assigned to assess the damage. For significant losses, a public adjuster (who represents you) can help maximize your settlement.

Typical home insurance claim timelines: emergency services (boarding, water extraction) within 24–48 hours; adjuster visit within 3–5 business days; settlement offer for smaller claims within 2–4 weeks; complex claims with disputed scope may take months.

Auto Insurance Claims

For an auto accident: ensure safety first, call police if required, exchange information with the other driver (name, insurance, license plate), take photos at the scene. Report to your insurer promptly — most require same-day or next-day notification. Your insurer will arrange an inspection and either direct repair or provide an estimate process.

Life Insurance Claims

To claim a life insurance death benefit: contact the insurer with the policy number, submit a death certificate, and complete the insurer's claim form. For term and permanent life insurance, most straightforward claims are processed within 30 days. If the death occurs within the first two years of the policy (the contestability period), the insurer may investigate for misrepresentation.

Disputing a Claim Decision

If you disagree with a claim decision, you have options: request a review by a supervisor, file a complaint through the insurer's internal complaint process, escalate to the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (OLHI) for life/health claims, or contact the General Insurance OmbudService (GIO) for home and auto. Each province also has an insurance regulator with complaint processes.