Toronto, Ontario — Aviva Canada hopes that drivers will remember to contact them immediately after an accident. It also comes several months after Ford announced a pilot program to send directions to certified collision centres to the drivers of vehicles that reported being in collisions.
“It’s a normal instinct to reach out to a loved one, but that next call needs to be to your insurance company or broker who can guide you through the process and help you avoid costly mistakes or delays,” said Oliver Rudd, vice president of auto claims at Aviva Canada.
The statement came in a press release about a survey commissioned by Aviva Canada shows that half of all Canadians are clueless about how to navigate the automotive claims process.
Entitled 2019: Make the Right Call, Aviva’s survey examines how much Canadians really understand about auto insurance and collision claims processes.
When asked how they would rate their current level of knowledge pertaining to the auto claims process, 50 percent of respondents said they were ‘not at all knowledgeable’ about navigating the post-collision process. Only five percent of respondents said they felt completely comfortable navigating the process.
Further, 30 percent of Canadians place their first post-accident call to a family member or loved one instead of reporting the incident to their insurer. When it comes to Canadian youth, that number increases to more than 50 percent.
While navigating through the claims journey can be intimidating, Aviva Canada says it doesn’t have to be.
“Accidents are traumatic enough—whether it’s a small fender bender or a severe crash, making the right call after an accident can provide a better experience,’’ the insurer said in a press release.
