Extreme weather and making claims – what you can do

Extreme weather is more frequent than ever before in Canada. As a result, more and more weather events have a high number of claims reported. If we’re unable to respond to your claim immediately, take steps to minimize property damage and speed up repairs:

• If it’s an emergency, you don’t need to speak with us first. Contact a reputable contractor with liability insurance and have the emergency repairs taken care of. Take pictures of the damage before and after the repairs and let us know as soon as you can.
  
  
• If it’s not an emergency, you can still get started before connecting with our claims department. Take photos of the damage, get a quote for the repairs and then contact our claims department who will advise on next steps.

What you can expect from us during a high-volume claims event:

• A high volume of claims can lead to a shortage of contractors to complete repairs. During times like this, we extend our preferred vendor relationships to you and bring contractors in from other parts of the country to work through claims as quickly as possible.
  
  
• Every weather event is different, but we typically send out email alerts and use social media to advise you how to best protect your property and next steps. In critical situations, we attempt to call cellphones directly to share our Claims Centre contact information.
  
  
• Depending on the severity of the event, we may send our Major Event Team directly to your community to set up on-site claims reporting centers.

If we have your up-to-date cellphone number and email address, we can reach you faster during an emergency. Share this information with your Financial Advisor or our contact centre and we’ll make the necessary updates. You can also update your email preferences and contact information through your Online Services account

Making a claim

If you have a claim or would like to discuss one, there are several ways to reach our Claims Centre:

• Submit a claim through your Online Services account. If you don’t have an account, register on our website.
  
  
• Call 1-877-682-5246, or in Quebec call 1-877-594-2667.
  
  
• Use The Co-operators app, available through The App Store and Google Play.
  
  
• You can also call or visit your Financial Advisor.