Frequently Asked Questions

Call or email us Monday to Friday 9:00am to 9:00pm at 1-800-516-6276 or claims@regaalinsurance.com to report your loss. There is also 24/7 claims assistance available directly with your insurer and the toll-free numbers are listed on the Claims Page.

Contact police about burglaries, thefts, and accidents that involve injuries or damage to property. Protect yourself from further damage by making temporary repairs as necessary. Keep your receipts.

After your claim is submitted, the following documents may be needed to support your insurance claim. Your claim adjuster can guide you through the process.

• Proof of Loss (other than fire)
• Fire Proof of Loss
• Property Schedule of Loss

Please complete our Payment Authorization Form and advise your insurance broker as soon as possible. If your banking or credit card information changes many insurers require this information 10 days prior to the due date of your next scheduled withdrawal.

Please contact your broker to discuss available options and any changes to the frequency of your payments.

When a scheduled withdrawal is returned as NSF (non-sufficient funds), a special notice will be sent to tell you when the fee will be withdrawn from your bank account or credit card. The NSF fee could be separate from your regular monthly withdrawal.

Your policy could be cancelled if you have a second returned payment during the same policy term, or if you have a returned payment on the first transaction of a new policy. Contact your broker to discuss payment and cancellation terms.

Yes, subject to the special limits of your policy. If the value of your jewelry is greater than the special limits of your policy, it can be added as separate scheduled article. Check your policy wordings to make sure that your jewelry is fully insured.

It is common for items such as jewelry, collectibles, cash, watercrafts and electronics to have special limits of liability. It is important to review the limitations of your policy to make sure you have the proper coverage.

Yes, coverage can extend from a standard homeowner’s policy to the property of students away at school. This coverage is subject to the same limits are your homeowner’s policy.

Generally speaking, you are covered while you are within Canada or the USA.
However, if you are permanently moving to a new province or the USA, you would need to switch your license and insurance over within 30 days.

The deductible is the amount that you are responsible to pay in the event of a covered comprehensive or collision loss. For example, if your deductible for collision is $500 and you have a collision claim, you will pay the first $500 of damage and your insurance company will pay anything beyond that.

If you are an immigrant from the following countries or provinces, you may get an Ontario driver license based on your past driving experience, making it easier to obtain car insurance for new drivers:

• Other territories and provinces in Canada
• Canadian Forces in Europe
• United States
• Austria, Australia, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Isle of Man, Switzerland, and Korea

If you are moving to Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge or London from outside of these areas, it may be more difficult to receive auto insurance strictly because there is no prior driving history in Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation will not give you recognition of your driving experience from your country of origin.

We understand the complexities that come with getting multiple new driver insurance quotes and as an independent insurance broker, we are able to continue our relationships with several insurance companies, allowing us to carefully assess and negotiate the best premiums so you can get the utmost car insurance for new drivers.

Our Insurance Brokers are continuously trained through RIBO (Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario) approved programs to better understand what’s right for you and your budgetary concerns. We pride ourselves on providing prompt and personal service while sharing our knowledge and best recommendations.

Because ride-sharing has become increasingly popular with commuters in today’s economy, Uber is cheaper than the traditional Yellow Taxi service, and is the epitome of a technology platform, a far cry from the “horse and buggy” of yesteryear! This new and innovative method of transportation benefits not only the riders, but drivers who are seeking to easily supplement their current incomes. As an added bonus, Uber driver insurance and ride-sharing insurance is now also easier than ever to obtain. Having access to the proper Uber auto insurance gives both passengers and drivers the assurance to participate in this new travel opportunity with full confidence. Uber X is the most popular and economical, accommodating up to 4 people utilizing smaller vehicles (2001 and newer) such as hatchbacks, family vehicles, and sedans. Uber XL uses a van and is meant to accommodate up to 6 passengers. Luxury vehicles (Uber Select) such as Mercedes, Lincoln, and BMW can be used by 4 people. In addition, there is UberPool (ride-sharing with other people) and UberHop (ride-sharing on common routes at peak hours) as examples of the Uber experience. Uber auto insurance is a necessity for all forms of Uber travel for protection and safety. No matter your means of ride-sharing, our team at Regal Insurance is here to provide you the best insurance policy with the coverage you deserve.

The difference between Uber car insurance and commercial vehicle insurance (such as taxis) is that you are utilizing both personal and paid fare driving. Because ride-sharing is a relatively new concept, there needs to be a specialized insurance to cover these vehicles in order to ensure safety on the road. This recent legislation has created a whole new way to travel within your city where your Smartphone apps connect drivers and passengers. Because the insurance cost is so reasonable, it makes sense for so many people living and working in large cities to choose Uber as their preferred method of transportation.

Many insurance providers offer coverage for short-term rentals but it is not a standard coverage. There are time limits and additional information that is necessary to ensure that you are covered properly for short-term rentals.

It is important that your insurance provider is aware of any short-term rentals as this could expose the dwelling to risks not normally covered on your standard homeowner policy.

Ask potential renters if they have tenant or homeowner insurance.

Much the same as a home owner needs home insurance, a condo owner needs condo insurance. This type of burden prevention ensures your unit and its contents are covered in the event of a fire, break in or flood, as well as affords you personal liability protection.

Although policies are highly customizable to the individual as well as their budget, in your condo insurance coverage you’re typically protected against:

• Loss of use (any additional living expenses you may acquire while your unit is being repaired)
• Personal liability coverage (bodily injury or property damage sustained by others)
• Upgrades within your unit
• Theft, damage or loss to the personal contents within your unit
• Appliances, wiring, carpets, plumbing and other fixtures

Insuring your condominium, as with insuring a home, varies upon several factors. If your condo is located within a large city, your premiums will be more than if it’s located in a small town. Rates also fluctuate when taking into consideration the overall value of your condominium and the insured contents within. Certain brokers are able to offer you a better condo insurance quote than others, based on their history in the industry.

Whether flood coverage is offered and the extent of the coverage depends on the location of the dwelling in relations to the flood plains.

Yes, there is coverage for boats on a standard seasonal policy. Depending on the value of the boat, additional coverage may need to be purchased.

Keep in mind, that even though you may not be occupying the dwelling all year, it still exposed to insured perils year round. The premiums for seasonal policies take into consideration that the location is not occupied year round.

Yes, there is coverage for freezer food that thaws during a power outage. If the limit that is included in your standard homeowner’s policy does not provide the amount of coverage you require or excludes the circumstances you are concerned about, a special endorsement for additional coverage can be purchased for a low premium.

Yes, most insurance providers offer this coverage as this can be a large unexpected expense for insured’s. There are limits associated with this coverage and higher limits can be purchased.

Yes, this is an additional coverage that is offered by many insurance companies as water damage is one of the leading causes of property claims.

Coverage for items in storage is a coverage offered by most insurance providers. Although, there are limits to the amount coverage and the amount of time the items can be in storage.

Landlords require tenants to carry tenants insurance to ensure that the tenants personal property is covered in the event of a claim.

Tenants insurance does not offer coverage for dwelling itself, as the owner would carry insurance for the dwelling. Tenants insurance provides you with liability coverage and insures your personal property.

No, when you go on vacations, it is very important to keep in mind that travel insurance policies do have exclusions for some activities/sports. Always read the policy wordings to make sure that you are aware of the exclusions.

This depends on the coverage that you have. In general, your travel insurance coverage ends as soon as you return to your home province. However; you can purchase a multi-trip annual plan which allows you to travel as many times within the year as long as each trip is not longer than the specified trip length chosen.

In order for your travel insurance to be valid, you must not be travelling against a physician’s advice. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, that condition can be excluded depending on the nature and stability of it. It is very important to read and understand the policy wordings and exclusions to understand when you are covered and when you are not.

High risk insurance is a blanket term which refers to a number of scenarios in which an individual or business may be deemed more likely to be involved in an at-fault driving incident, potentially default on a payment(s), more likely to file a claim, or have had insurance-related issues in the past. As such, there exist a number of types of high risk insurance available to you.

The majority of insurance providers offer identity theft coverage either included in their standard coverage or as a supplementary coverage.

Identity theft includes coverage for personal information that has been stolen, for example; banking information, social insurance number or government identification such as a driver’s license. Identity theft coverage would help cover the expenses related to recovering your identity.

This depends on your insurance provider. The cost is minimal in comparison to the costs that could be associated with recovering your identity.

Term life insurance provides coverage within a specific time frame (i.e 10, 15 or 25 years). This time frame is usually the time frame during which your family would need the death benefit most, and offers coverage at affordable premiums. Of all life insurance options this one is the least expensive and most frequently purchased. To purchase this type of life insurance policy, speak to a Regal life insurance broker today.

As the name suggests, whole life insurance covers you for your whole life and also builds cash value while the premium remains level. Whole life insurance can also be borrowed against tax free. Unsurprisingly, the premiums for this form are significantly higher than those found in term life insurance.

Under the terms of a universal life insurance policy, the excess of premium payments above the current cost of insurance is credited to the cash value of the policy.

Travel insurance must be purchased prior to travelling out of province. If you did not purchase travel insurance prior to leaving the country, there still may be coverages available to you.

The term of coverage depends on the insurance provider. Travel insurance can generally be purchased on a trip by trip or annual basis.

Yes, but depending on when you are requesting to cancel your policy, there may be fees associated with the cancellation.

It is highly recommended as your provincial health plan won’t cover you outside of your home country. Without worldwide emergency medical insurance, there are many financial inconveniences that a person could experience if a medical emergency were to occur.

The most important coverage to get would be emergency medical coverage; however, there is also coverage available for trip interruption, baggage and flight delay.

A student that may be returning to their home province at any point in the year would benefit from a multi-trip policy as this would allow them to continue coverage when they return to their schooling. It is important to make sure you specify an appropriate maximum trip length to ensure you are covered the entire time you are away from your home province.

Both TuGo and Allianz offer a 10 day cancellation period to allow time for you to review the policy to ensure the coverage suits your needs. If your trip has not begun and you decide to cancel within those 10 days, a full refund will be provided. You will need to contact your company within 10 days of the application date to request this.

Visitors to Canada insurance covers emergency medical and health expenses that may be arise while you are in the country. There are other losses, such as financial losses, that may be covered as well

If you need to extend your trip to Canada, an approval to extend coverage may be given if there have been no claims made or medical conditions that have arisen. The request to extend coverage must be made prior to the expiry date of your policy.

The application for Visitors to Canada can be completed online. If you are unable to complete the application, someone can complete it on your behalf as long as they are capable of accurately filling out the application.

The main exposure for agricultural risks are natural disasters or weather conditions that may damage the property, machinery, or business. This can cause interruptions to the business process which could lead to large financial losses for the owner.

• Commercial General Liability
• Property coverage (Buildings, Tools, Machinery & Equipment)
• Equipment Breakdown
• Business Interruption/Loss of Income
• Pollution Liability

These would be the main coverage that an agricultural policy could provide coverage for; however, there may be additional coverages that would be beneficial depending on the specific type of business and the operations.

In any profession, mistakes can happen. In the education industry, it is possible for a mistake to negatively impact or cause harm to students, faculty or a school board. As a result, the educator may be sued and incur large legal fees. Professional Liability Insurance can help protect against such legal fees.

The main types of insurance an educational professional would benefit from is Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions) and Commercial General Liability.

Educators who own a business and operate out of a building they own or their own should also consider Commercial Property Insurance.

A Professional Liability Policy covers legal costs as a result of being sued due to alleged negligence

While commercial insurance does cover personal usage, personal automobile insurance policies will not cover property losses, damage or liability that may occur in the event that your vehicle is used for business related purposes. Commercial insurance is designed for businesses that rely on the roads to keep their wheels turning. Our policies offer you financial protection should you or your drivers be involved in an accident while on the job and it covers vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks and commercial trailers.

While most businesses today require some form of coverage, the decision isn’t immediately obvious and the situation may be complicated. To find out of if you require a policy, contact us at 1-(800)-516-6276 to discuss with one of our specialists or visit us at one of our locations, or online for a free, no obligation quote.

While the needs of individual businesses vary greatly, typical coverage can include:

• Liability for bodily injury to others
• Collision coverage for costs associated with an accident
• Personal injury to you, your employed drivers or passengers including medical expenses, lost wages, funeral costs, hospitalization and ongoing treatment costs
• Property damage liability

One of the largest expenditures for any business is obtaining comprehensive insurance and rates. While these will be dependent upon the coverage you require as well as the driving history of yourself and anyone insured on your vehicle(s), our team at Regal Insurance facilitates this matter as a top priority. Mitigating insurance costs can have a direct positive impact on your business’ bottom line and we want to be a part of that. We provide a variety of choices, plans, and personalization to meet your needs.

Protect yourself, your vehicles and the people who drive them. Contact us today!

Contractors, like any other profession, have the risk of making mistakes that lead to legal action from financial loss or injury of others. However; another loss that Contractors tend to face more frequently than some other professions would be theft. Contractors often store their tools and equipment on a jobsite which can pose a potential for theft depending on the site and security. These tools and equipment can be very expensive which causes a large financial loss for the Contractor.

• Commercial General Liability
• Property Coverage (Building – if applicable, Tools & Equipment)
• Commercial Automobile Insurance (if using your vehicle for work/carrying tools & equipment)

While those are the main coverages for a person working in this industry, there are more coverages available depending on your specific business operations.

Although your employer may not require you to have your own coverage, it is recommended as your company policy wouldn’t cover your personal tools and equipment.

Additionally, if you do any jobs on the side not associated with the company you work for, you would want to have coverage to protect yourself as there is always a potential for something to go wrong.

Employees in this field can make mistakes or create work that dissatisfies the customer. In some cases, work done by professionals in this field may even hurt the brand or reputation of the company resulting in a loss of income for that company. For many professionals in this industry, copyright is another exposure that can result in a large financial loss.

Professional Liability Insurance, Cyber & Privacy Coverage and Commercial General Liability would be the main coverages for a professional in this field to obtain. Those who own a location that they operate their business out of should also obtain Commercial Property Insurance.

Yes, a homeowner policy does not cover business activities and therefore you will need to set up business insurance regardless of where you operate your out of.

Engineers, like any other profession, can make mistakes which can lead to legal action. In some cases, a mistake by an engineer could result damage or delays for the customer’s business.

Commercial General Liability, Professional Liability, Commercial Property, Workers’ Compensation and Business Automobile Insurance would be important for professionals in this industry. Crime Coverage would also be recommended to protect against employee dishonesty and Umbrella Insurance to give extra protection beyond your policy limit.

There are multiple coverages that an engineer could benefit from which can be sold as individual policies. However; many companies offer packages specific to an industry/profession which combine multiple coverages in order to avoid you having several policies.

In many cases, a company you work for, a client or even a venue may actually require you to provide proof of insurance before hiring you for a job. Apart from it usually being a requirement, insurance is very beneficial to anyone in this industry as there are many exposures you may be unaware of.

The main coverage for a professional in this field is Commercial General Liability coverage; however, a Package Policy to include both Commercial General Liability and Commercial Property Coverage should be considered when building coverage is also needed.

• Personal injury
• Advertising injury
• Property damage
• Completed products
• Medical expenses

The main exposure for a farm would be natural disasters or weather condition that may damage the property, machinery, livestock or crops. This can cause interruptions to the farming which could lead to large financial losses for the farmer.

• Commercial General Liability
• Property coverage (Buildings, Tools , Machinery & Equipment)
• Equipment Breakdown
• Business Interruption/Loss of Income
• Pollution Liability
• Livestock & Crop Coverage

These would be the main coverages that a farm policy could provide coverage for; however, there may be additional coverages that would be beneficial depending on the specific type of farm and the operations of the farm.

Yes, your farm insurance policy can include your home and any outbuildings or farm outbuildings on your property.

As any business with a physical location, funeral homes have the risk of bodily injury taking place on the property. With the transportation funeral homes do, there is also the potential risk of causing to property such as a casket or urn. Funeral homes may have additional exposures such as pollution if they dispose of chemicals or other potential pollutants.

Commercial General Liability, Professional Liability and Commercial Property insurance would be recommended for a funeral home. Directors and Officers Liability Insurance would be important for those employees who are making important decisions (e.g. Board of Directors). Commercial Automobile insurance would also be needed for the vehicles used in relation to the business.

A typical Commercial General Insurance policy will exclude Pollution Liability; however, sometimes it can be added as an endorsement on the policy for an additional cost. In some cases, you may actually require a separate policy to provide the Pollution Liability coverage.

The exposures would vary depending on the services you offer. There are so many exposures to any business from a slip and fall on your premise to a food-borne illness or overserving of alcohol or mistakes that cause harm to customers or others.

• Commercial Property (Building & Contents)
• Commercial Liability

While these would be the main coverages, there are other coverages available that would be very beneficial depending on the business operations (e.g. business interruption, liquor liability)

To prevent losses, it is important to know what you are exposed to and create procedures to help prevent the avoidable losses. For example, proper and frequent salting of icy areas during the winter months to avoid slip and falls.

In order to ensure your business does not suffer from a large financial loss, it is important to understand your insurance coverages and ensure it is adequate.

In any job, mistakes can happen. However, in the medical field, a mistake has the potential to cause serious injuries to patients which could result in legal action.

The coverage needed would depend on the specific job of the individual. An employee would typically only need Professional Liability, whereas a medical business would likely want to consider the following coverages:

• Commercial General Liability
• Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions)
• Property Coverage (Building, Office Contents, Tools & Equipment)
• Equipment Breakdown
• Cyber Coverage

Although you may work for a hospital or clinic or care facility, the insurance coverage that they have may not always protect you as an individual employee.
If an employer considers you to have been negligent resulting in any type of injury to a patient, insurance can help protect you from legal action your employer may take against you.
Additionally, any coverage that your employer does have for you, would not apply for any services you offer outside of your workplace.

A standard homeowner policy does not include any coverage for tenant’s, roomers or boarders. It is important to disclose all occupants in the residence to ensure you are properly insured.

Water damage coverage is one of the most important coverages your policy can include as the number of water damage claims is rising. There are a variety of water coverages offered depending on your insurance provider, such as; sewer back-up, overland water, ground water & service line coverage.

There are coverage limits for jewelry, fine art and other collectables that are dependent on your insurance carrier. The limits for these items can be found within your policy wordings. Increased limits can be purchased if necessary.

Professionals in this field deal with many customers, tools and chemicals which can all lead to potential losses. Customers can become dissatisfied and take legal action. Chemicals and tools can potentially cause bodily injury to a customer or employee which could also result in a lawsuit.

If you are renting a space from a salon, you are technically operating as your own business. Because of this, it is important that you carry your own insurance coverage as the policy for the salon you work for wouldn’t cover you.

As humans, mistakes are always possible. However; when you are a professional being trusted by the people around you, a mistake that you make in your job has the potential to cause injury or financial loss to a customer resulting in legal action.

• Commercial General Liability
• Directors & Officers Liability
• Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions)

These would be the main coverages for a professional business; however, there are more coverages available depending on the needs and operations of your business (e.g. cyber coverage, contents/property coverage, commercial vehicle coverage, etc.)

Professional Liability Insurance protects you against legal expenses that arise from the professional service or advice that you provide. For example, if a client sues you for negligence due to advice you provided to them, this coverage can cover the defence expenses.

This can vary depending on what type of real estate you own as well as the occupancy of it. In all cases, there is always the possibility of a loss caused by natural disasters however; depending on the use and occupancy of the property there are many more exposures that could cause a loss. For example, vandalism or damage caused by tenants, or injuries occurring on an area of the premise which you are responsible to maintain. In the event that the property is unlivable after a covered loss occurs, that could also be a large loss of income for an owner that is renting out the property.
Insurance can help protect against these potential issues.

• Commercial Liability
• Commercial Property
• Loss of Income

While these would be the main coverages a Commercial Real Estate owner would benefit from, there are also other coverages that can be added depending on your needs.

While some losses are not possible to prepare for or avoid, it is possible to take precautions that can reduce the risk of certain losses. For example, having set procedures and timelines for any maintenance you as the owner are responsible for.

Additionally, understanding your coverage and ensuring you have the coverage you need is a way to minimize your personal loss in the event that something does goes wrong.

Like any business with a physical location, there is always a possibility of damage to the building and contents or legal action being taken due to injuries obtained on the premise. However, retail businesses could also experience theft of their products.
In the event of damage to the building causing the store to be closed for a long period of time, the business may experience a large loss of income as well.

• Commercial Property
• Commercial General Liability
• Business Interruption

These would be the main coverages although; there are more coverage to consider depending on the operations and size of the retail business (e.g. equipment break-down, crime coverage)

• Bodily Injury Liability
• Property Damage Liability
• Personal Injury & Advertising Injury Liability
• Tenants Legal Liability
• Medical Payments Coverage

Employees in this field can make mistakes or create work that dissatisfies the customer. In some cases, work done by professionals in this field may even hurt the brand or reputation of the company resulting in a loss of income for that company. For many professionals in this industry, copyright is another exposure that can result in a large financial loss.

Professional Liability Insurance, Cyber & Privacy Coverage and Commercial General Liability would be the main coverages for a professional in this field to obtain. Those who own a location that they operate their business out of should also obtain Commercial Property Insurance.

Yes, a homeowner policy does not cover business activities and therefore you will need to set up business insurance regardless of where you operate your out of.