Essex Street in Moncton, N.B. (submitted)
Hurricane Dorian caused quite of bit of damage in the Maritimes of the weekend.
Amanda Dean, Atlantic VP with the Insurance Bureau of Canada says there are ways to make the claim process a little smoother.
“Document the damage. Taking photos is always a great idea because it shows the damage and it also shows what was lost. Even taking jot notes so that when individuals reach out to their insurance representative and/or directly to their insurance company, there’s something to go by,” she says.
Dean says until they get a better idea of the assessed damage, there is no way of knowing the impact it will have on insurance.
“Typically a one-of event doesn’t have a major impact but our region has certainly been seeing a number of different events happening throughout the past few years, so all of those cumulatively add up and attribute to the risk in parts of the region,” she says.
Dean says the industry is focused on those who have experienced claims by fulfilling their contract duties.
She says they may also need to bring in adjusters from out of province so customers can get their claims started.
“All of the resources within each province will be used first and then if other adjusters need to be brought in from neighbouring provinces, there is a process the government has in place for those adjusters to get a temporary license quickly so people aren’t waiting on adjusters,” says Dean.
Dean says they expect a variety of claims to come in, including wind and water damage as well as damaged vehicles.
