Making a car insurance claim

What is Accident Forgiveness?

Accident Forgiveness is an endorsement added to your car insurance policy based on eligibility. Having first-time Accident Forgiveness on your car insurance means that if you have a chargeable at-fault accident, it won’t be rated at renewal. In other words, your premium won’t go up because of it.

How does Accident Forgiveness insurance work?

Generally, your premium will increase at renewal if you get into an accident and it’s your fault. Think of Accident Forgiveness as your one “free pass” for your first at-fault accident. If you have it on your policy, your premium at renewal won’t be impacted by that accident.

Keep in mind, Accident Forgiveness applies to your first at-fault claim only. If you have another at-fault accident, your Accident Forgiveness will be removed from your policy. You’ll be rated for both accidents – and any at-fault accidents after that.

Heads up! Even though it won’t affect your rate, your first accident will still be kept on record. If you switch insurers, you could be rated for this claim by your new provider.

How do you qualify for Accident Forgiveness?

At Sonnet, we include first-time Accident Forgiveness automatically as long as you qualify for it:

• You must not have a chargeable at-fault accident in  the last six years
• You must be licensed continuously for the last six years 
• You must be insured continuously for the last six years (Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia & PEI only)
• You must not have had your auto coverage cancelled for non-payment in the last three years
• You must not have four or more minor convictions or any other major, serious or criminal convictions in the past three years

Does your car insurance increase after an accident?

Yes, it can. If you’re found to be at-fault in an accident, your premium will most likely go up. Insurers calculate your premium based on a variety of factors. These include your driving history and overall risk as a driver. And the more accidents you have, the riskier you are to an insurer.

Tip: What’s one of the best ways to prevent your insurance from going up? You guessed it – it’s avoiding accidents. Check out our tips on how to be ready for car accidents, plus steps to follow if one does happen.

Want to know more? We’re happy to help! Just contact us. Our fully-licensed Insurance Advisors can get you answers.

Your premium is calculated by information that is unique to you and your vehicle. The same can be said for a claim – your premium might be impacted, but it depends on a lot of factors.

If you make a claim that falls under your comprehensive coverage, this typically won’t increase your premium. Though, too many comprehensive claims in a short period of time can lead to your insurer deciding to remove comprehensive coverage upon renewal.

If you have a collision, a premium increase depends on whether you were at-fault. If you were at-fault, you could see your premium increase. If you have accident forgiveness coverage, your premium won’t be impacted by your first at-fault accident.

If you’re involved in a hit and run accident, there are a few key steps to help you handle to situation:

1. If anyone was injured, first call 911. Safety is always top priority. If you, your passengers, the other driver or any pedestrians were injured, always attend to this first.
2. Report the hit and run to the police within 24 hours. If advised by the police, go to a collision reporting centre. This step is important since your accident needs to have been reported in order for it to be reviewed as a not-at-fault loss when you make a claim. 
   
   Tip: If the police tell you that the damages are too minor to report, take down their badge number and phone number so your insurer can follow up.
   
   
3. Record as much information as you can. If you were in your car or nearby when it happened, take note of details like the colour, make/model and some or all of the licence plate number.
4. Take photos. If it’s safe to do so, take photos of the scene, damage to your vehicle, or visible paint on your vehicle from the other car.
5. Gather witnesses. If others were nearby and saw what happened, talk to them and add to your own notes. Take down their contact information in case police or your insurer need to follow up.
6. You’ll then need to contact us.

A great question. To start, one of our Claims Professionals works closely with you, going through all the details of the loss and researching the cost to repair or replace any of your damaged property. We may even bring in an expert to help us assess the damage. Then they review your policy to determine how much of your claim can be paid based on your coverage. And if for some reason your loss isn’t covered, we make sure you understand why.

Your home policy. If your home has been damaged as a result of a loss that's covered in your policy, we may call on one of our certified partners to help us assess the damages.

Your auto policy. We'll have the damage to your vehicle assessed by a licensed appraiser or certified body shop to determine whether or not it can be repaired. If the vehicle is repairable, it will be repaired based on the approved estimate. If it's not repairable, we'll give you the Actual Cash Value.

If you or someone else is injured in an accident, please let us know right away. We’ll assign a dedicated specialist who’ll review the details and determine access to the appropriate benefits and/or compensation.

If you’re in Quebec and you’re injured in a car accident, you must report it to the SAAQ.

Here’s how to report your claim online with Sonnet.

Heads up! Before you start to submit your claim, you’ll need to have certain information handy. This includes:

• Details and notes from the incident
• Documentation such as bills or receipts (for ambulance or fire truck costs, medical expenses, cleaning services, etc.)
• Contact information for everyone involved

To submit a digital claim:

1. Start your claim.

Click the "Start a digital claim" button.

2. Tell us when it happened.

Enter the date and time the incident occurred, as accurately as possible. If you weren’t around at the time of the incident, you can enter the time it was discovered.

3. Tell us what property or vehicle was impacted.

We’ll provide you with a list of vehicles and/or properties you have insured with us. Select the one that was impacted.

Note: There will also be options to select if you have injuries caused by a vehicle that was not yours (as a pedestrian or cyclist), or if your property was damaged or lost in a location outside of your home.

4. Enter your contact information.

You will then be asked to enter contact information so we can get in touch with you after you submit your claim. You’re also allowed to add another person as an additional contact to receive your claim details and help you if you need assistance.

Heads up! If you’re reporting a property claim and need emergency repairs, you’ll select your emergency services vendor during this step.

5. Tell us what happened.

Be as accurate as possible. Depending on the nature and complexity of your claim, we’ll ask about the people involved, any injuries to yourself or others, and the damages to your vehicle or home. This is also where you’ll upload any documents or photos you’d like to submit. The process may take five to ten minutes.

6. Review your claim.

Carefully review the information you entered. If you need to change anything, click “Edit” beside the section you wish to change.

7. Select your service and/or Certified repair shop for your car (if applicable).

This is where you can select a certified repair shop for your car from our list of quality vendors. If you’re eligible, you may also be asked to set up your rental car service or request an Uber voucher.

8. Submit your claim.

Whether it was through a live chat or directly via the online reporting form, after your claim is submitted it’s sent to a priority queue of digital Claims Professionals. An adjuster will review the details and call you within one business day. You can share additional details and pictures, or clarify any new information with this adjuster. They’ll also be able to answer any of your questions and tell you all you need to know about the next steps, what's needed from you, and what Sonnet will do to handle your claim.

We know claims can be stressful – and we’re here for you. Remember, you can always chat with one of our dedicated Claims Professionals if you have any questions. To do so, make sure you log into your account first.

Sonnet auto insurance provides 24-hour tow assistance after an accident – Canada-wide.

Our trusted tow provider Assistenza will take care of you and your vehicle before you report your claim if you need a tow or roadside assistance.

Just call 1-888-668-6087.

Heads up! You have rights when it comes to tow trucks. Here’s some important information you should know so you don’t fall victim to any scams.

• Please do not sign any document from a tow truck driver that was not sent by us, or called by you, at the scene of an accident.
• If you don’t wish to use our provider Assistenza, contact your preferred towing service. You are not obligated to use the services of a tow truck that arrives on scene.
• You have the right to choose where your car is towed. When in doubt, call us to speak with a Claims Professional to get advice, or tow it to your home first.
• Read everything your approved tow truck driver asks you to sign and be sure to get an itemized invoice prior to payment.
• Keep all documents associated with any towing or roadside assistance you received. You’ll need this information when you report your claim.

At Sonnet, you can report your claim online or over the phone. We want you to get the help you need as quickly as possible. That’s why the more information you can give us up front, the better.

Before submitting your claim, make sure you’re familiar with the coverages you have on your policy. To view your policy, log into your account and click "My Policies" on the dashboard, and then click on the policy you want to view. See if you have coverage for the specific loss or event and check if there are any exclusions that aren’t covered.

You should have the following information handy (if applicable) when you’re reporting your claim:

• Your policy number (phone claims only – you won’t require this if you’re reporting your claim online)
• Photos
• Police reports
• Correspondence relating to the claimed event
• Names and contacts of any service providers you used to assist you
• Invoices for any out-of-pocket expenses
• Receipts for lost or damaged items
• Contact information, namely phone numbers where you can be reached

You want your claim settled as quickly as possible – so do we! How long that takes depends on how severe or complex the loss is, whether or not you need a rental car or clean up service, and other steps that could be involved in your claim. Some claims can be wrapped up in a single phone call. Others might require us to bring in other claims experts.

You can speed things up by providing any necessary details or documents associated with the claim as quickly as possible.

Did you know? Reporting your claim online can speed things up! Some things like booking a rental car or choosing a repair shop can be done directly during the online reporting process. This will save you time and get you back up and running more quickly! After you submit your online claim, a Claims Professional will call you in approximately one business day to discuss your claim and proceed with the next steps.

It depends on what’s stolen from your car. Certain items are covered by car insurance, and others by home insurance.

If your car is broken into, your auto insurance will cover items that are actually a part of your vehicle (for example, the stereo that came with your car, or hubcaps).

All other personal items – like a laptop, cell phone, gym bag or sporting equipment – would be covered under your homeowners, tenant, or condo insurance. If you don’t have insurance at the time of the theft then you won’t be compensated for personal items stolen from your car.

If someone else leaves an item in your car and it’s stolen, they’d need to claim that item under their own home insurance – yours won’t cover it.