General insurance knowledge centre

Insurance is a safety net to protect you and your family’s financial well-being in the case of an unexpected loss. It is a legal arrangement that guarantees support in the event of a covered accident or incident.

We offer home insurance and auto insurance.

Yes, by provincial governments whose role it is to ensure fairness and quality in the industry.

If you’re in a car accident or something happens to your home, our claims experts will walk you through filing a claim. Call 1-866-692-8482 to begin.

A link for unsubscribing from this service is provided in the emailed quote that you request. By clicking on this link, it will be understood by Aviva Agency Services that you no longer require this service.

In Canada, you can’t drive without it. You must be insured for¹:

• Liability (if you cause an accident and someone sues you)
  
• Accident benefits (if you or someone in your vehicle is hurt in an accident)
  
• Unknown/uninsured motorist (if you’re involved in a hit-and-run)
  
• Direct Compensation for Property Damage (DCPD): Covers damage to your vehicle or its content incurred from an accident that wasn’t entirely your fault or was not your fault at all. (If you’re in Ontario, you have the option to remove DCPD coverage. You may contact your insurance representative to find out more and any impacts this may have on your coverage.)

After that, the options vary by province and customer need. Some options include¹:

• Specified Perils: This covers the cost to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged by fire, theft, lightning or other rare but specific incidents
  
• Comprehensive Insurance: This covers the same as specified perils plus vandalism, falling or flying objects and more. Ask us for the complete list.
  
• Collision or Upset: This covers the cost to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s involved in a crash or if it rolls/tips over.
  
• All Perils: This is the broadest optional loss or damage coverage you can get through us, as it combines collision or upset, comprehensive and more.

For details on these and other options, visit our auto insurance page.

Yes, as long as they have a valid licence and you give them permission to drive the vehicle. All licensed drivers in your home must be listed on your policy, no matter how often they drive.

You must have a minimum amount of coverage that is mandated by your provincial government, but many drivers opt for more than the mandated minimum. For example, if you are in an accident in which you damage someone's property and they successfully claim $700,000 in damages, but your policy only covers you for a maximum of $500,000 in damages, then you are responsible for $200,000.

Insurance companies are required to assign a percentage of fault to every driver in an accident. It’s possible to be in an accident and be considered "not at fault" (0%), "partially at fault" (1-99%) or “at fault” (100%).

Fault is calculated by using the fault determination rules that are applied by your insurance company.

"No-fault insurance" means that if you are injured or your vehicle is damaged in an accident you only have to contact your own insurance company, not the other drivers’ insurance company. This settles claims quicker and with less hassle.

First introduced in 2004 by the Alberta Government, the Grid Rate Calculator regulates car insurance rates within the province. Insurance companies cannot charge more that the maximum rate for basic coverage. This basic coverage includes Third Party Liability and Accident Benefits. The majority of drivers within the province pay less than the listed grid premiums.

Insurance companies consider a variety of things to make sure you’re getting the best price possible, including:

• The coverage you need and the deductible(s) you choose
• Your vehicle year, make and model
• How you use your vehicle (i.e., pleasure, commuting or business) 
• How far you drive each year
• Where you live
• Your driving experience and the experience of any other drivers you’re also insuring

There are a few ways you could save on car insurance:

• Build a consistent accident and conviction-free track record
• Review your policy yearly to take advantage of available discounts
• Increase your deductible
• Combine your car and home insurance
• Sign up for Aviva Journey and get rewarded for safe driving (only in Ontario)
• Drive less and take public transit when possible

If eligible, you can purchase a Disappearing Deductible for your automobile where you can reduce your deductible by 20% a year by maintaining a claim-free file. After five years in a row without a claim, your deductible will completely disappear.

Home insurance provides peace of mind that you are protected against the unexpected.

Home insurance coverage can include general and specific kinds of damage to your home. You can also purchase insurance to cover a condominium, rental, or other kind of property or valuables found in your home.

Because you probably own more than you think you do, even if you don’t own a house. And replacing it all would be more expensive than you think, from furniture to clothes to electronics.

A 20% reduction of your deductible for every year you don't make a claim. After five years, the deductible will be gone but your premiums will stay the same. Should you make a claim, your deductible will go back to its original amount.

This is a highly personal question that depends on your comfort level. Please contact one of our skilled agents so that they can customize a solution that works best for you.

Insurance companies consider a variety of factors to calculate the cost of your house insurance, including:

• The coverage you need and the deductible(s) you choose
• Property location
• 24/7 monitored security system
• Age of your house
• Type of your building (i.e., detached, semi, row, townhouse)
• Construction material (i.e., brick, stucco, wood, etc.)
• Type of electrical and heating system
• Proximity to a fire hydrant or fire station

Having a car accident or experiencing damage to your property can be stressful. That’s why we help make it easy for you to report a claim 24/7 and get the services you need.  You can make your claim in whatever way suits you best:

When you have a car accident you may not know what to do. Here are some tips to ensure everyone’s safety and that you have the required information (there are also tips on the back of your Aviva car insurance pink slip):

• Stay calm, make sure you and your passengers are okay and determine if anyone requires medical attention.
• Move as far off the road as possible, but stay at the scene of the accident. Warn oncoming traffic by activating your hazard warning lights.
• Call the police or ambulance, if necessary.
  
• Gather and record details of the accident including :
  • photos of the accident scene (if it safe to do so)
  • name and contact information of any witnesses and passengers
  • police information (name, badge and report number, if any charges laid)
  • other driver(s) license, vehicle (year, make, plate number) and insurance information (company name and policy number). Ensure you exchange this information with the other driver.
• Call us right away at 1-866-692-8482 to report the claim, or you can also call your broker.
• Remove any personal items from your vehicle if it needs to be towed.
• Know your rights. You are entitled to choose where your vehicle is towed and you don’t need to sign anything at the accident scene. Towing, repair and rental companies may ask you to sign a work order or other contractual documents at the scene. If this occurs, please call us at 1-866-692-8482 to help find the best options available for towing, repair and rental. 

You can choose your own vendor for vehicle repairs but we have a network of trusted vendor partners through our Premiere Auto Repair Centres. You’ll benefit from:

• A network of accredited facilities in your community.
• Expedited repairs to your vehicle.  
• Quality repairs and our lifetime guarantee for their work, for as long as you own the vehicle. Terms and conditions apply.

We’ll help make it simple for you to find the right repair facility and quality repairs to get you back on the road as quickly as possible.

If you’ve purchased Temporary Vehicle Replacement coverage, you’ll get access to a rental vehicle until your vehicle is repaired or is replaced following a claim. 

You can choose your own contractor for home repairs but we have a network of trusted contractor partners through our Premiere Contractor Network.  You’ll get:

• A network of  approved restoration specialists in your community.
• Repairs done quickly as turnaround times for them are monitored and measured by our professional claims team.
• Quality repairs and our lifetime guarantee for their work, for as long as you’re insured with Aviva. Terms and conditions apply.

We’ll help make it simple for you to find the right contractor to get your life back to normal as soon as possible.

When you call to report your claim we will get things started for you right away. Most likely the person you are reporting the loss to will be your Claims Care Advisor and will help you with the next steps. If you are reporting your claim through other channels, you can expect a call from us the next business day.

Our goal is to settle your claim and help you get things back on track as quickly as possible. The amount of time required to handle each claim depends on how severe or complex the loss or damage. Some claims can be resolved in a single phone call. There will be other cases that are more complex and require us to fully review the incident and bring in other claims experts. Your Claims Care Advisor will explain the claims process up front and give you a time estimate when they begin to handle the claim.

Many factors affect premium and it really depends on your specific situation, past claims history and other factors. If you have any questions after an accident, speak to your broker or insurance representative.

If you have Accident Forgiveness on your auto insurance policy and it still applies, your car insurance rate won’t go up after your first accident, even if you were at-fault. 

Your deductible is the portion of the claim that you pay and will be applied to the total amount you receive from us for the loss to settle the claim.

For example, if your insured damages will cost $7,000 to repair and your deductible is $1,000, we would pay $6,000. Your Claims Care Advisor will review how the deductible works when you report a claim.

Our Claims Care Advisor will take you through all the details of your claim, including how we work out the amount that is paid to you for your claim.

Through MyAviva you will be able to view your insurance policy information, some of your insurance policy documents, change your email address and marketing preference through a single login.

You will also be able to see different products and discounts that you may be eligible to receive.

Currently MyAviva accounts are available to our policyholders in Ontario who purchased a personal insurance policy with us after April 15th 2016 onwards, or have an Ontario personal insurance policy that has renewed after April 15th 2016. You will require one of your in-force insurance policy numbers and some personal information like your Name, Date of Birth and Postal code to sign up.

To register for MyAviva please click here and follow the simple registration process. Please ensure you have your insurance policy details on hand as you will need to enter your details exactly as they appear on your insurance policy. Your insurance policy number would have been provided to you by your agent. For more information about how to register please call 1-855-788-9090 to speak with an agent.

Unfortunately you cannot. You need to have an in-force insurance policy with us in the province of Ontario that is effective April 15th 2016 onwards to be able to register for a MyAviva account.

Your insurance policy number would have been provided to you by your agent. You can also find it on your policy documents. If you do not have it, please call 1-855-788-9090 to speak with one of our agents to obtain it.

You will require one of your insurance policy numbers to register for a MyAviva account.

You can only modify your email address through your MyAviva account. When you change your email address, you will then have to use that new email address to log in to your MyAviva account.

If you need to make changes to any other personal information on file, please contact one of our agents by calling 1-855-788-9090. We require the most updated information about you and anyone else listed on your policy.

Unfortunately you cannot cancel your policy online. Please call 1-855-788-9090 to speak with an agent to discuss your cancellation.

You can use the 'Forgot password' option available to you. You will have to provide answers to the security questions to verify your identity. You can also call 1-855-788-9090 to speak with one of our agents who will be able to help you reset your password.

To unlock your account please call 1-855-788-9090 to speak with an agent.

If you are having trouble registering for a MyAviva account please ensure you are entering all your details correctly as they appear on your policy. If you should require any assistance please call 1-855-788-9090 to speak with an agent.