Soon Islanders will need to deal only with their own insurance company to fix their vehicle after an accident.
“Being involved in an automobile accident is stressful enough without having to contact the at-fault driver’s insurer for compensation,” said Robert Bradley, the province’s superintendent of insurance. “This change will improve the experience for drivers and simplify the claims process, so Islanders can get their vehicles back on the road more quickly.”
Insurance reform enacted in spring 2014 known as “Direct Compensation – Property Damage” takes effect October 1, 2015. It mandates that insurance companies compensate their own customers for damage to a vehicle and its contents caused by someone else.
Beginning this month, Islanders will see a new section on their auto insurance renewals titled “Direct Compensation – Property Damage.”
Although customers will now need only to deal with their own insurer for property damage claims, drivers must still remember to do two things:
• obtain all parties’ insurance information immediately after an accident, since this information will be important in settling your claim; and
• if they wish to have vehicle damage covered that is judged to be their fault, they should purchase collision coverage.
For more information, contact your automobile insurance company or visit www.gov.pe.ca/jps/directcompensation-propertydamage.