WATERLOO, ON, May 6, 2020 — Today, Economical Insurance deployed its Catastrophe Response Team to Fort McMurray to provide immediate assistance for Economical and Sonnet Insurance customers who have been impacted by flooding.
"Our team stands with the residents and business owners in the Fort McMurray community during this difficult time, and will remain on the ground until we're sure that all the needs of our customers have been met," Hans Reidl, Senior Vice-President, Claims at Economical Insurance.
The Economical team of adjusters are working to diligently support individuals and families, as well as business owners whose properties may have sustained physical damage because of the flooding. The team is responding quickly to work on claims that customers have already reported, and to assess any new claims that customers initiate over the next few weeks.
"We're taking every opportunity to simplify the claims process to help reduce anxieties for our customers," Shawn Little, Director, Technical Property and Catastrophe. "From wildfires in 2016, to flooding this spring during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Economical continues to provide security for the Fort Mac community when they need us most."
Keeping customers, employees, and the community safe during COVID-19
With the added complexity of emergency travel, and physical distancing protocols related to COVID-19, Economical is taking extra response precautions as recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada to keep staff and customers safe amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Economical previously extended its long-standing partnership with Canadian Red Cross by providing an additional $100,000 donation for COVID-19 support measures. This continued support helps Red Cross responders to meet the urgent needs of people impacted by the flooding in Fort McMurray and the surrounding area of Alberta.
Canadians can donate to The Fort McMurray & Area Flood Fund which has been developed by Canadian Red Cross, to provide relief, recovery, resiliency and risk reduction activities in and beyond the region at the individual and community levels.
What information should customers collect when making a claim?
Keeping track of some important information before, during, and after experiencing a flood can make for a smoother claims process. Customers could be asked to provide any of the following information:
- A detailed description of the incident
- The type of materials damaged within the home or business
- Details about damaged belongings and if they need to be replaced or repaired
- Contact information for the contractor that will be used
- Whether additional living arrangements will be needed while waiting on repairs
Customers are also encouraged to address any additional questions directly with their adjuster, including questions about additional living expenses arrangements and overland water coverage.
For more information, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has published additional public resources to assist customers to cope with spring flooding during the COVID-19 pandemic. IBC's Consumer Information Centre can be reached at 1-844-2ASK-IBC.
Need to make a claim?
Customers of Economical who need to make a flood-related claim, should contact their broker or call Economical 24/7 to start the process: 1-800-607-2424. Customers of Sonnet can make a flood-related claim by calling 1-844-766-6384.
About Economical Insurance
Economical Mutual Insurance Company ("Economical" or "Economical Insurance", which includes its subsidiaries such as Sonnet Insurance Company, "Sonnet" or "Sonnet Insurance", where the context so requires) is a leading property and casualty insurer in Canada, with $2.5 billion in gross written premiums and approximately $6.0 billion in assets as at December 31, 2019. Economical is a Canadian-owned and operated company that services the insurance needs of more than one million customers.
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