Frequently Asked Questions
Hallmark is a member of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (“IBC”), and every year, information officers at the IBC’s Consumer Information Centres answer tens of thousands of questions from insurance policyholders across the country. At the Ontario Consumer Information Centre, many of these questions are about automobile insurance.
Automobile insurance is complex. As a client, you should examine your policy carefully to understand every detail. Yet few people bother to read their policies until they are involved in an accident, a car they own is broken into or they have some other problem.
When shopping for auto insurance, remember that the wording of your policy will be the same no matter which insurance company issues it, because the Ontario automobile policy and related endorsements (endorsements are add-ons to basic coverage) are forms approved by the Financial Services Commission. However, not all companies provide the add-ons. Your Hallmark representative will help you decide what coverage is best for you.
In the five documents you can open and read below, we have reproduced, with permission of the IBC, answers to the questions most often asked about car insurance in Ontario. If you have other questions or need more information, please call your Hallmark representative.
- What do I need to know to fill out an insurance application?
- What is the impact of inaccuracies or omissions
- in applications for automobile insurance?
- Why is it important to pay premiums on time?
- What should I know about lapses in insurance coverage?
- What coverage is a must-have and what coverage is optional?
- What influences my premium?
- How can I get a premium discount?
- How do claims affect my premium?
- How do convictions affect my premium?
- How do deductibles on my vehicle coverages work?
- What do I do if I’m in an accident?
- What should I know about filing a claim?
- Determining Fault. No-fault insurance: What’s it all about?
- How do Accident Benefits coverages work?
- What happens when a vehicle is a “total loss”?
- Why isn’t my car always repaired with new parts?
- Branding program: What happens if my vehicle is severely damaged?
