Follow these steps to get answers to your questions.
1) Ask your insurance company or broker
Start by contacting your insurance agent, broker, or claims adjuster and ask for more information about your insurance policy or how your claim was handled. The rights and obligations of both parties are spelled out in your insurance contract, and misunderstandings sometimes occur – that's normal.
2) The Insurance Information Centre is there to help you.
If you're not satisfied with the answers you get, the IBC Insurance Information Centre can help.
The Centre's mission is to answer consumers' questions and provide accurate and impartial information on car, home, and business insurance.
The Centre's services are free and confidential. They include:
- information on types of insurance policy and extent of coverage;
- information and advice on taking out an insurance policy;
- information and advice on settling a claim.
In some cases, Insurance Information Centre agents can also act as an intermediary between you and your insurer in order to:
- obtain the additional information needed to understand a problem;
- verify certain facts or practices;
- negotiate a review of the insurer's decision, if this is justified;
- help you obtain a car or home insurance policy.
3) Contact your insurance company's ombudsperson or person responsible for dealing with complaints
All insurance companies have a procedure to resolve disputes and a person designated to deal with them. If you file a complaint:
- make sure you are clear about the nature of the problem and your expectations;
- be ready with all of the relevant documents and information related to your file;
- give your insurer a reasonable amount of time to investigate your complaint and respond;
- write down the name of the people to whom you explain your complaint and what they say to you in response.
4) Contact the Autorité des marchés financiers
As the regulatory body for Québec's financial sector, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) protects consumers, enforces laws, and monitors financial markets. The AMF Information Centre can help consumers file a complaint against an insurance company.
You can also ask for mediation to resolve the dispute. Both parties must agree to this.
Information Centre
Autorité des marchés financiers
Québec City: 418-525-0337
Montréal: 514-395-0337
Toll-free: 1-877-525-0337
Disputes related to bodily injury following a car accident
If your complaint is about one or more injuries incurred during a car accident, contact the Customer Satisfaction Centre of the SAAQ (Société de l'assurance autombile du Québec).
Customer Satisfaction Centre
Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
333 Jean-Lesage Boulevard, E-M-30
Québec, Québec G1K 8J6
Telephone: 418-528-4949
Toll-free: 1-866-891-6545
Fax: 418-646-4777
Toll-free fax: 1-866-632-2189
Or go to: https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/traffic-accident/contesting-decision
If you disagree with the SAAQ about the amount of compensation you are entitled to after your accident, you can contact the Québec Ombudsman (Protecteur du citoyen). You will need to fill out a complaint form, either online, or in person at the Ombudsman's Montréal or Québec City office.
Online
protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca/en
protecteur@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca
Québec City
525 René-Lévesque Boulevard East, Suite 1.25
Québec, Québec G1R 5Y4
Telephone: 418-643-2688
Toll-free: 1-800-463-5070
Fax: 1-866-902-7130
Montréal
1080 Côte du Beaver Hall, 10th floor, Suite 1000
Montréal, Québec H2Z 1S8
Telephone: 514-873-2032
Toll-free: 1-800-463-5070
Fax: 1-866-902-7130