Toronto Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier this week, parts of south western Ontario experienced a rather large storm. The storm unleashed around 20 to over 130mm of torrential rain which triggered widespread flash flooding. Destructive wind gusts topped 100km/hr along sized golf ball sized hail; which knocked out power for more than 155,000 customers. Branches and entire trees came crumbling down. Basements flooded. Fences, sheds and other structures were seriously damaged. Windows shattered causing extensive water damage. Skylights got damaged. It wasn’t pretty and the clean up job continues.
What do you do when you’ve been impacted by this storm, or another storm or property damage claim like it?
First and foremost, we’re sorry. It’s really hard dealing with property damage claims. But, look at the bright side. Hopefully, nobody was hurt and the property which was damaged can be repaired. We know that the repair job is a major headache, but things could be worse. The repairs (or replacement), will get done, one way or another. It just takes time.
Here are a few tips on what to do after you’ve experienced property damage:
- Take photos/videos of the source of the damage, and of the damage/destruction right away. This is very important which is why it’s #1 on this list. The insurance company will want to see this so that they authenticate your claim. The insurance company wants to know that you aren’t trying to pull a fast one on them. They also want to know that the damages are covered under your policy of insurance. Some policies will cover claims for rain damage, but NOT for sewer overflow. This means that if the water in your house is coming from a broken window or skylight, then it will be covered under the policy. But, if the water in your house is coming from underground (like a sewer or sump pump that’s been backlogged), then it might not be covered under your policy unless a specific rider has been purchased for this sort of coverage. The photos and video of the source of the damage will help the insurer understand where the problem is coming from, and whether or not it will be covered under the policy.
- Don’t wait to report your claim to the insurance company. Do this right away. Waiting will hurt your claim. You are expected to do so almost immediately. If you wait to report your claim, there had better be a good reason for this. There isn’t really any excuse for waiting to report claims anymore given that most insurers offer online reporting, or they have an app on your phone which can instantaneously make a claim. The app will be connected to your phone, and you can easily upload the photos/video of the damage which you shot in step #1 above. This makes things very easy. It’s also another example of how people who don’t have a smartphone; or who are tech illiterate will have greater problems functioning in 2026; than they would have in 1986. If you aren’t keeping up with the tech, then the world will leave you behind. But that’s a story for another day.
- Get your own quote, from your own contractor(s) as soon as possible. Don’t rely on the insurance company and their contractor(s) for a quote. The insurance company will send over a remediation team and an adjuster to inspect the damage. But, you shouldn’t wait to get a quote from the insurance company’s team of experts. Do you own due diligence and get some quotes from people who aren’t associated with the insurance company. If you have a person who your trust, reach out to them. If you have a preferred contractor who you have worked with before, or who has a good reputation in your community, don’t hesitate to reach out to them. The reason for this is at some point, the work will need to get done. If the claim is approved, the insurance company will offer you one of three options:
a) The insurer’s contractor will do the work; and will get paid directly by the insurer for an agreed upon amount
b) Your contractor will do the work; and will get paid directly by the insurer for an agreed upon amount
c) The insurer will send you a lump sum of cash for an agreed upon amount; and you will get the repairs done with the cash from the settlement
It’s always nice to have a trusted contractor do the work so that you property gets repaired by someone you know; rather than a stranger picked by the insurance company.
4. The claims process is slow, so be patient and don’t panic. Claims take time to open, handle and process. This is just the nature of the business. Just because your claim is taking time to process, doesn’t mean that it’s being denied, so it’s best not to panic. If the adjuster handling your claim isn’t being responsive to your queries, don’t be afraid to reach out to that adjuster’s manager either to get the answers you need.
5. The insurance company will be nice, but just because they’re acting nice doesn’t mean that they’re on your side. Do you think that insurance companies are in the business of handing out checks and approving each and every claim that comes their way? The insurance company makes more money not paying a claim, than by paying out each claim which lands on their desk. The insurer will pay out on a meritorious claim, but their definition of meritorious might not be the same thing as your definition of meritorious. You might have many a disagreement with them in terms of what’s covered under the policy, and what’s not. Sometimes, the difference between what’s covered, and what’s not boils down to a word or two. This can be very frustrating for claimants, or people who are new to how insurance and how the law works. I can tell you from years of experience that these policies are about splitting hairs and threading the eye of a needle. Words matter, and the definitions of those words matter as well.
