Costly car insurance mistakes, how claims and lapses affect you, how to complain and where to check the facts.
The expensive problems in car insurance usually start with a detail: a son listed as an occasional driver when he drives the car every day, a vehicle registered at a cottage address, a payment that bounced while the owner was travelling, or a small claim that raised the premium for years. When a claim is made, the insurer checks these details, and the outcome can be a denied claim, a cancelled policy or a gap in insurance history that follows you to the next insurer.
The guide to common car insurance mistakes links to every other guide here. Read about misrepresentation, principal drivers and fronting, how at-fault claims affect your premium, lapses, cancellation and high-risk insurance, complaints and disputes and the directory of official sources.
These guides are general information. If a claim has been denied, you have been accused of misrepresentation, or you were injured, consider advice from a lawyer or paralegal licensed in your province before you sign anything.
Mistakes, Disputes & Official Sources
How fault is decided in Canadian car accidents, how long an at-fault claim affects your premium, accident forgiveness, claims history reports, and a worked claim-or-pay-yourself calculation.
Mistakes, Disputes & Official Sources
Step-by-step complaint routes for Canadian car insurance: the insurer's ombudsman, the General Insurance OmbudService, the AMF in Quebec, public insurer reviews and accident benefit tribunals.
Mistakes, Disputes & Official Sources
The most costly car insurance mistakes in Canada, from unlisted drivers and wrong garaging addresses to lapses, small claims and wrong coverage, with what to do instead.
Mistakes, Disputes & Official Sources
What happens if your Canadian car insurance lapses or is cancelled for non-payment or misrepresentation, how high-risk and Facility Association insurance works, and how to rebuild.
Mistakes, Disputes & Official Sources
What counts as misrepresentation in Canadian car insurance, why naming the wrong principal driver (fronting) or address is risky, and how to correct details safely.
Mistakes, Disputes & Official Sources
A directory of the official bodies for car insurance in each Canadian province and territory: regulators, public insurers, rate boards, licensing councils, tribunals and complaint services.
