Ice storm over southern Quebec | What does insurance reimburse?

The freezing rain that hit Quebec plunged more than a million homes into darkness and caused a lot of damage: broken tree branches, sunken car roofs, lost food. Does the insurance cover the filet mignon left in the fridge or the barbecue damaged by the trees? Pierre Babinsky, director of communications for the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), answers our questions.


Does the insurance cover damage if a tree falls on the roof of your car or house?

Every time an object hits your home, the damage caused is covered by home insurance. This covers the risks incurred, in particular due to wind or ice.

In the case of the car, it is a little different. Owners must have coverage for non-collision accidents.

While a pedestrian is walking on the sidewalk in front of your home, the branch of a tree on your property falls on his head and injures him. Are you responsible?

In this case, it can often be a municipal tree. But in any case, civil liability is a court that will determine it. If you are found responsible, it is the civil liability part of your home insurance that will cover it.

You haven’t had any electricity for 24 hours and your fridge is full: cartons of milk, tenderloins, carrots, yogurt. Can insurance cover you?

Yes, the insurance policy will normally cover the contents of a refrigerator or freezer, up to a certain amount subject to a deductible. When you notice the loss of food, you must document it by taking a photo. Your insurer will not ask you how many potatoes you had. He will judge the claim based on the information you provide him.

If the fridge or freezer leaks and causes water damage, are you covered?

Damage caused by water coming from inside [la plomberie, les appareils électroménagers…] are covered by basic home insurance. For water that comes from outside, such as that dripping from the roof, you must have endorsements [protections supplémentaires].

It’s 13°C in your house and she’s become uncomfortable. So you decide to eat at a restaurant and take a hotel room for the night with your family. Is it refundable?

If you have no damages that prevent you from living in your home, you will not be reimbursed. Living expenses will be paid if the damage to your home renders it uninhabitable, such as a tree falling on the roof, for example.

If your tree falls on the neighbour’s barbecue, will your insurance or his or hers reimburse you?

“Normally, damage to our property is covered by our insurance. So the neighbor’s barbecue is covered by his insurance. Note that if your tree falls at the neighbor’s, it’s up to you to pick it up. »

It’s best to file claims as soon as possible, advises the Insurance Bureau of Canada.


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