Insurance Agent-

 An insurance agent works for a specific company and they can only offer the coverages and premiums of that one specific company.

Insurance Broker- 

 An insurance broker represents several insurance companies which gives them the ability to customize your coverages and premium as per your insurance needs.

 Our role, as your broker, is to provide you with the best insurance service that combines coverage and price. We also provide personalized, quality service that includes professional insurance advice, ongoing policy maintenance and claims support. When any issue arises regarding your insurance coverage, we are your advocate, using our professional experience to best represent your individual interest. As a result, we are compensated by the insurance company. The commission provided to Theoret & Martel can vary as per the information below.

Automobile- Between 5% to 12.5%

Property- Between 15% to 20%

Commercial- Between 10% to 20%

1. Dial 911 for emergencies or contact your local police department for non-emergency situations.

2. Gather as much information as possible about the incident and the third party if it is the case:

• Date & time of the incident

• Who was driving your vehicle? Who was driving the third party vehicle? Record the third party’s name, contact information & insurance information.

• What happened before the incident? How was the incident caused?

• What is the intersection or specific location of the incident?

• Are there any injuries to a party involved?

3. Make a list of any damages that were caused due to the incident, include pictures if possible.

• Damages to your vehicle

• Damages to the third party vehicle

• Damages to any surrounding property (a tree, a fence, a hydro pole, a building etc.)

4. Call your insurance broker at Théorêt & Martel and let us file the claim for you with your insurer. An adjuster from the insurance company will contact you afterwards to make any necessary arrangements. If our office is closed, please refer to 'Our Insurance Partners' below, where you will find a link to your insurance company's website.

There are many factors that will affect your automobile premium. Therefore we need to consider them when reviewing your automobile renewal such as:

• The year, make and model of your vehicle
• Your coverages and deductibles
• Your driving experience, for exemple: years licenced, convictions, at-fault claims etc.
• Number of km driven in a year as well as your commute to work or school.
• Your territory and location for exemple: cities usually cost more than rural areas.

 In Ontario, there are standard coverages which include: Liability, Accident Benefits, Uninsured Automobile & Direct Compensation- Property Damage. Drivers may wish to add additional coverages to their policy such as Loss or Damage and Increased Accident Benefits. Here is a brief explanation of each coverage, but for further details, please consult your insurance policy wordings.

Standard Coverages:

Liability- Will provide coverage to you and / or another insured person should someone be killed or injured in an automobile accident or as a pedestrian as a result of an automobile accident. This part of the policy will also cover damage to a property during an automobile accident. It will pay for legitimate claims against you and / or an insured person.

Accident Benefits- Should you and / or another insured person be injured or killed in an automobile accident or as a pedestrian as a result of an automobile accident, the following benefits will be provided:

• Income replacement
• Medical, Rehabilitation & Attendant Care
• Caregiver Benefit, Housekeeping and Home Maintenance Expenses
• Death and Funeral Expenses
• Dependent Care
• Indexation Benefit

Uninsured Automobile- Will provide coverage to you and / or another insured person should someone be killed or injured in an automobile accident or as a pedestrian as a result of an automobile accident if the driver of the vehicle is uninsured or unidentified.

Direct Compensation Property Damage- Will provide coverage to your automobile and to the property it is carrying, when another motorist is responsible.

Additional Available Coverages:

Loss or Damage- Provides a selection of coverages for your vehicle whether the loss or damage is direct or accidental. The selection of coverages include but are not limited to fire, theft or attempt at theft, vandalism, glass repair or replacement, flying objects, collision with an animal, collision with another object.

Increased Accident Benefits- Includes the standard coverages that are listed in the accident benefits section above as well as an increase to some of the limits should you request further coverage.

 We strongly recommend that you contact your insurance broker to talk about the details of your property policy.

 Every insurance company offers different discounts. For example, on an automobile policy, you may be eligible for discounts such as:

• Multi-Policy Discount (also referred to as multi-line, packaged or combined discount)
• Multi-Vehicle Discount
• Winter Tire Discount
• Retiree Discount
• Conviction-Free Discount
• Claims-Free Discount
• Renewal or Loyalty Discount
• Age or Mature Driver Discount
• My Driving Discount

 We strongly recommend that you contact your insurance broker to make sure that you have all of the discounts possible on your policy as certain conditions may apply.

 As of September 2019, the digital proof of insurance is now valid in the following Canadian Provinces: 

• Ontario
• Quebec
• Alberta
• Nova Scotia
• Newfoundland & Labrador

 If you are travelling anywhere other than these provinces listed above, make sure to carry your paper copy.

Your Ontario policy will cover you anywhere in Canada and the Continental US. That being said, we do recommend that you have a mininum of $2,000,000 liability if you will be travelling to the US or other provinces with your vehicle.

 Your Ontario auto insurance policy will provide coverage only in Canada and the Continental US. If you are travelling anywhere us, please arrange for insurance with the rental car company.

 Your personal belongings are not covered under your automobile policy, they are covered under your personal property policy.

 Yes. Your insurance company needs to be made aware of any licensed drivers that live in your household at all times. Whether it is your child/step-child, spouse, roommate, etc.

1. Dial 911 for emergencies or contact your local police department for non-emergency situations.

2. Gather as much information as possible about the incident:

• Date & Time of the incident

• How was the incident caused?

• Are there any injuries to a party involved?

3. Make a list of any damages that were caused due to the incident, include pictures if possible.

• Damages to your property

• Damages to any surrounding property (a tree, a fence, a hydro pole, a building, a neighbor etc.)

• In the case of theft or a robbery, make a preliminary list of missing items that you may notice.

4. Call your insurance broker at Théorêt & Martel and let us file the claim for you with your insurer. An adjuster from the insurance company will contact you afterwards to make any necessary arrangements. If our office is closed, please refer to 'Our Insurance Partners' below, where you will find a link to your insurance company's website.

 There are many factors that will affect your property premium. Therefore we need to consider them when reviewing your property renewal such as:

• Replacement cost of your home and its content will logically increase each year with the cost of living.
• Location and neighbourhood
• Age and type of building
• Heating source
• Amount of deductible
• Credit score
• Hydrant protected VS Shuttle-tanker protected VS Unprotected
• Recent updates made to your home such as: Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing and Heating. 

 Property insurance policies offer a wide spectrum of coverages and the details of your insurance policy can be found in your policy wordings document. The information below provides an overview of a standard comprehensive insurance policy.

• Dwelling Building Limit- Includes your primary dwelling and any attached structures that are permanently installed such as a covered or uncovered deck or patio, a 3-season room etc.
• Detached Structure Limit- Includes any structure on the property that is detached from your primary for example a garage or shed, that are not covered in your Dwelling Building Limit. 
• Personal Property- Includes all of your personal belongings up to the limit on your policy such as your clothes, household items, home appliances etc. Certain categories carry limits of insurance such as jewelry, collectibles, watercraft and much more.
• Personal Liability- This is the part of the policy that will pay out if you are sued for unintentional bodily injury or property damage
• Additional Coverages- Most insurance companies will provide coverages for things such as freezer food, debris removal, fire department charges, mass evacuation additional living expenses, By-law coverages and many more. Once again the details will be found in your policy wordings document.
• Insured Perils- When you have an all risk policy, you are insured for everything except the loss or damage which are caused by the exception list found in your policy wordings document.

 We strongly recommend that you contact your insurance broker to talk about the details of your property policy.

 Every insurance company offers different discounts. For example, on a property policy, you may be eligible for discounts such as:

• Multi-Policy Discount (also referred to as multi-line, packaged or combined discount)
• Claims-Free Discount
• Mortgage-Free Discount
• Monitored Alarm Discount
• Shuttle Tanker Discount
• Smoke-Free Discount
• Age or Mature Discount

 We strongly recommend that you contact your insurance broker to make sure that you have all of the discounts possible on your policy as certain conditions may apply.

 There are several different water damage coverages that are offered in Ontario on your property policy and not all insurance companies offer all of the water damage coverages.  But here are a some of the coverages and a general descriptions for each. 

• Sewer Back-up: The infiltration of water or sewage in your home through your municipal sewer system or your private septic systems
• Overland Water: The infiltration of water in your home from a point at or above the ground level caused by the overflow of a lake / river, heavy rain or a rapid snowmelt.
• Ground Water: The infiltration of water in your home suddenly and accidentally through the basement walls, the foundation or the floor.
• Above Ground Water: The infiltration of water in your home suddenly and accidentally through the roof or the walls
• Water and Sewer Lines: In the event that a leak, break, tear, rupture or collapse should happen to your water or sewer lines. 

 We strongly recommend that you contact your insurance broker to talk about the details of your property policy. 

 Home insurance is not mandatory in Ontario. However, it may a condition from your bank for your mortgage to have a property insurance policy in place.