Consumer Rights

Insurance Consumer Regulations

Every province has an Insurance Act that governs the conduct of insurance companies. Insurance companies are obligated to follow all laws and regulations in your province. Insurance Acts across western Canada deal with Proofs of Loss. We are required to provide you with a Proof of Loss form within 60 days from the date you report the claim. A Proof of Loss is a statutory declaration of your intent to make a claim. At Peace Hills, we send this form as soon as your claim is reported.

The Insurance Act of Alberta also addresses certain “Market Conduct Issues” in claims handling. These issues affect individuals insured in Alberta and apply to three areas: use of service providers, liability assessment and liability payment disclosure.

Service Providers

If you submit a claim where you suffered a direct loss you will receive a letter outlining your right to engage a service provider of your choice. At Peace Hills we often deal with certain building contractors, body shops, property and jewellery replacement firms. We have identified a number of businesses that have a high level of expertise, integrity and remain cost competitive. In some instances, we have selected auto repair facilities called Gold Medal Body Shops. We partner with these shops to provide enhanced service and a lifetime guarantee for your vehicle repairs.

Being the owner of damaged or stolen property you have the right to engage a firm of your choice to estimate and repair or replace your property.

As your insurer we are entitled to inspect the loss or damage and obtain appraisals and estimates to control the costs.

Liability Assessment Disclosure

If you report a claim where another party suffers damage or injury because of your negligence we will send you a letter alerting you to the possibility a payment may be made on your behalf.

Payments under this section are made to the party who suffered the injury or damage only after the adjuster conducts a thorough investigation and makes an assessment.

At Peace Hills Insurance we believe it is important for you to be aware of any factors that may affect your insurance rating or coverage. No action is required on your part if you have received a liability disclosure letter from us. However, any concerns regarding a possible re-rating of your policy should be discussed with your broker.

Liability Payment Disclosure

If a liability payment has been made to another party on your policy you have the right to request such payment information. In order for us to respond without breaching any Privacy Code agreements or legislation we ask that you make payment information requests to the Branch Claims Manager in writing. We only release this information to the person named as the insured in the contract.