Frequently Asked Questions for Chubb Insurance Claims

The coverage determination cycle changes. Even so, we will need a formal claim submitted before we are able to assert whether or not there is coverage for your claim.

These questions should be issued from your broker. Only a licensed broker is allowed to discuss these types of coverage problems because every policy is different.

In the event of loss or damage to your property, you should report a claim immediately. In addition, you should take steps to protect it from further damage. After a covered loss, we reimburse the reasonable expenses you incur to protect your property from further covered damage. Some ways you can mitigate damage include:

• Shutting off the water after a plumbing leak
• Securing your home after a burglary
• Calling the police after a burglary
• Calling the fire department
• Moving or protecting property to prevent further damage

Check your Chubb policy for additional details and speak to your claim adjuster once you file your claim.

When reporting a claim, it's helpful if you have the following:

• Your policy number
• The date the loss occurred
• The address of the loss
• A brief description of the loss
• The contact information for any other parties involved, including any contractors and experts

The earlier you contact Chubb to report your loss, the sooner we can help you. You can report your claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through several convenient claims reporting options, including by phone, fax, online and through your insurance broker. Click here for more information.

We make every effort to contact our Masterpiece® policyholders within the same business day as the claim is reported. Your adjuster will obtain all the pertinent information from you and advise you of the next actions required to complete the process and will be your primary point of contact to answer any questions that may arise.

Every claim is unique, and the length of the claim process depends on a number of qualities, including receipt of any documentation required to adjust your claim, whether or not an inspection is needed to fully assess your damages, and whether any coverage questions exist and require additional investigation. In all scenarios, our goal is to provide you with prompt, efficient and accurate claim handling. Once an agreed settlement is reached, we make every effort to issue your claim payment within 48 hours.

Your policy provides you with extra living expense coverage that goes beyond your normal living expenses in the event your home is uninhabitable due to a covered loss. These costs include your additional housing, hotel expenses, animal boarding fees and food expenses above your normal spending. You will need to keep copies of your receipts and invoices to support these additional incurred costs.
If you will be out of the home for any extended stretch of time, we can assist you by engaging a housing vendor to identify a temporary housing arrangement. Check your Chubb policy for additional details and speak to your claim adjuster once you file your claim.

Depending on the nature and extent of the damages, your claim may require an inspection by a field adjuster. Your Chubb adjuster will let you know if this is needed during your conversation. In these instances, the field adjuster will contact you to make an appointment to meet with you at a mutually favourable time to inspect your damages.

If others are responsible for the damage to your property, our Recovery Department will try on your behalf to recover your deductible from the responsible party and then reimburse it to you. This process is known as subrogation. If we successfully recover any monies, your deductible will be refunded in part or in whole based upon the recovered amount and/or local laws.

Talk to your adjuster before discarding any damaged items. Once we have inspected the property or obtained documentation from you supporting that the damaged items are non-repairable, the items can typically be discarded. In some cases, we may want to obtain your damaged items for salvage.

Because your mortgagee has a financial interest in the property, they are included as a payee on larger claims involving building damages. We suggest you contact them prior to the payment being issued to understand what their endorsement requirements are.
Any payments for your personal property or non-building damages will be paid by separate check to you directly. Check your Chubb policy for additional details and speak to your adjuster once you file your claim.

Call 911 for emergency assistance, especially in the event of any injury. After calling 911, you should:

• Remain at the scene of the accident
• Take photos of the accident scene and vehicles involved
• Exchange insurance and contact information with anyone involved or witnesses to the accident

In Ontario and Alberta, the police may direct you to go to a Collision Reporting Center (CRC). A list of CRC locations can be found here.

• The Collision Reporting Center as mentioned above will be able to store your vehicle for up to 24 hours.
• Alternatively, the police report or CRC report will be filed from the scene of the accident. In this case you may have your vehicle towed to the dealership or body shop of your choice to perform the repairs.

When reporting a claim, it's helpful if you have the following:

• Your policy number
• The date the loss occurred
• The address of the loss location
• A brief description of the loss
• The contact information for any other parties involved, including any other drivers involved in the collision or any witnesses.

The earlier you contact Chubb to report your loss, the earlier we can help you. You can report your claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through several convenient claim reporting options, including by phone, fax, online and through your local Chubb adjuster. Click here for more information.

We make every effort to contact our Masterpiece® policyholders within the same business day as the claim is reported. Your adjuster will obtain all the relevant information from you and advise you of the next actions needed to complete the process and will be your central point of contact to answer any questions there may be.

You can take your vehicle to the repair shop of your choice. Chubb has a network of preferred repair shops that we offer to our Masterpiece policyholders. Check your Chubb policy for additional details and speak to your adjuster once you file your claim.

Your adjuster will work with one of our preferred rental vendors to arrange a replacement vehicle if your car is in the shop for repairs following a covered accident, or if it is totaled or stolen. We will reimburse the vendor directly for your rental car, so you won't have to worry about the bill. Rental services are available nationwide, and many of our preferred shops have rental vehicles at their facilities. Of course, you can also choose any rental car agency you prefer to work with. Check your Chubb policy for additional details and speak with your claim adjuster once you file your claim.

A vehicle is considered a total loss based primarily on an appraisal report. Your adjuster will assign an appraiser and help determine if your vehicle is a total loss. Then adjuster is available to you throughout the process to address your questions or concerns.

Your adjuster will work toward a swift resolution of your claim. Our Masterpiece^® products offer choices and features not typically found in standard policies. As a Masterpiece^® policyholder, if you have Agreed Value coverage and your car is determined to be a covered total loss, your deductible will be waived and we will write you a cheque for the agreed amount. Check your Chubb policy for additional details and speak with your claim adjuster once you file your claim.

Every claim is unique, and the length of the claim process depends on a number of factors, including receipt of any documentation required to adjust your claim, whether or not an inspection is needed to fully assess your damages, and whether any coverage questions exist and require additional investigation. In all scenarios, our goal is to provide you with prompt, efficient and accurate claim handling. Once an agreed settlement is reached, we make every effort to issue your claim payment within 48 hours.

For the most part, if a “no fault” determination is made, the adjuster will waive your deductible and you will not have to pay it. Chubb will then try to recover the deductible from the party at fault based on the provincial laws where the accident occurred.

Your adjuster continues to be available to you to address any questions or concerns you may have about your claim.

Chubb does have preferred vendors for various lines of business. These include home restoration companies, rental vehicles and law firms. The vendors have been selected for their expertise and their commitment to upholding the Chubb claims principles. Please speak with your adjuster if you have questions about which vendor to use.

Please send your information to vendorcanada@chubb.com. Your request will be reviewed by our vendor committee and we will reach out to you should we need your services.

By definition, subrogation is the right of an insurer to legally pursue a third party that caused an insurance loss to an insured. When you suffer a covered loss that may be the fault and responsibility of a third party, Chubb’s recovery team files a claim against the third party and attempts to recover the amount of the loss. The amount of the loss includes all payments made by Chubb, your policy deductible and any uninsured loss you may have incurred.

Regardless of fault, under the terms and conditions of your insurance policy, you are required to pay the deductible. If a third party is responsible for your loss, the claim will be referred to Chubb’s recovery team. A Recovery Examiner will review the file and take the appropriate action, depending on the circumstances of the loss. These actions include;

• Submitting the claim directly to the Third Party with a request for reimbursement
• Submitting the claim to the insurer of the Third Party with a request for reimbursement
• Referring the file to Chubb’s Subrogation Counsel for an opinion and to commence legal proceedings
• Closing the file as it was determined that there was insufficient proof to establish the negligence of a third party

The Recovery Examiner will advise you if you have a deductible and/or uninsured interest when the file is closed. If recovery efforts were successful, we will reimburse your deductible and/or uninsured interest. If recovery efforts were not successful, we will provide you with a detailed explanation.

There is no one easy answer to this question. Many factors determine the length of time a recovery claim can take to resolve. In all recovery claims, the burden/onus is on us to prove our claim against a responsible third party. This differs from the coverage you are afforded under your policy.

As an example, you submit a water damage claim as a result of a burst pipe. Under the terms and conditions of your policy, this is usually covered and the claim is settled with you. When the file is referred to the Recovery Examiner, we must be able to establish the cause of the burst pipe and whether or not it was the result of the actions and/or inaction of a third party. This could include a manufacturing defect and/or improper installation.

The factors determining the length of time a recovery claim can take to resolve include, but are not limited to:

AUTOMOBILE LOSSES:

• Has the liability of the third party been established or is there a dispute between the parties?
• If there is a dispute, are there provincial rules governing these disputes?
• If a third party has insurance, the length of time for their insurer to complete their investigation into the loss
• If a third party does not have insurance, do they have the funds available to pay a recovery claim?

PROPERTY DAMAGE CLAIMS:

• Can it be established what or who caused the loss?
• Do we have a part available for testing?
• If yes, how long will it take for one of our experts to complete testing and provide a report?
• Is the third party still in business?
• If not, did they have insurance at the time of the loss?
• Do the third party and/or their insurer accept responsibility for the loss?
• If not, is a legal opinion warranted?
• If the legal opinion is favourable, an action will be commenced

We may require additional information on some claims, so please do not dispose of any materials related to your claim without first contacting your Chubb Claims Adjuster or Recovery Examiner. Examples include invoices and work orders by a plumber, electrician or other contractor. Photographs are always helpful. So, if possible, please provide photos taken any damaged property when the loss first occurred. Please do not dispose of any damaged parts – the part may be a critical piece of evidence we require to establish the negligence of a third party.

Throughout the recovery process, your co-operation may be required by either one of our Recovery Examiners and/or our Subrogation Legal Counsel to ensure that we move the claim through the recovery process as quickly as possible.