General information only. This isn’t insurance advice: your policy always has the final say.

Claims

What to do, in order, after an accident or damage, so your claim goes smoothly. To know what your policy covers, call your insurer, agent or broker. Pick your situation.

The online report

The online joint report from the Groupement des assureurs automobiles (GAA) is filled out on your phone, at the scene, with the other driver. It’s for accidents involving one or two vehicles where nobody is hurt. Each driver needs an email address.

Open the online report

The paper report

Print the official form or ask your insurer for copies. Keep one in the glove box, with a pen.

Printable form (PDF)

At the scene: what to do, in order

Stay at the scene and get safe. Leaving the scene of an accident is an offence. Turn on your hazard lights. If the cars can move and nobody is hurt, clear the lane.
Someone hurt? Call 911. You must notify the police, even if the injuries seem minor.
Nobody hurt? You generally don’t need to call the police. Call anyway if the other driver flees, refuses to give their information or seems impaired.
Exchange information, it’s mandatory: name, address, driver’s licence number, plate, the owner’s name and address, insurer’s name and policy number.
Take photos: both cars, the plates, the damage, where the vehicles ended up and the scene (lights, signs, road conditions).
Fill out the report together, online or on paper. See the details below.
Call your insurer promptly. Under the Direct Compensation Agreement, your own insurer handles your car, even if the other driver is at fault.
Hurt, even slightly? File a claim with the SAAQ, no matter who was at fault.

Hit an empty parked car or a fence? If you can’t find the owner, you must report it to the nearest police station. Leaving without doing so is an offence.

Filling out the report, section by section

The report describes the facts. It doesn’t say who is at fault: the insurers decide that afterward using the fault chart.

See the 7 sections, with examples

Date, time and place

As precise as possible

ExampleJanuary 14, 5:40 p.m., corner of Saint-Denis and Rachel, Montreal, heading north.

Witnesses

Name and phone number of anyone who saw the accident

TipA neutral witness can make all the difference if the stories don’t match. Get their details right away: they won’t stay long.

Vehicles A and B

Each driver, owner, plate, insurer and policy number

TipCopy straight from the other driver’s licence and proof of insurance.

Circumstances

Tick, for each vehicle, what it was doing at the moment of impact

ExampleFor A: “changing lanes”. For B: “travelling in the same direction, in another lane”. These boxes are used directly to set fault: tick only what is true.

Sketch

The lanes, direction of traffic, where the cars were at impact

TipAdd traffic lights, stop signs and street names. One arrow per car to show its direction is enough.

Damage and point of impact

Where each car was hit

ExampleA: front right fender. B: rear left door.

Remarks and signatures

Each driver signs and keeps a copy

ImportantSigning doesn’t mean admitting fault. But don’t sign a report you think is wrong: write your disagreement in the remarks box.

If the other driver won’t fill out the report

Stay calm and don’t push. Note their plate, the make and colour of their car, and what they look like. Photograph their vehicle and get witnesses’ contact details.

If they refuse to give their information or leave the scene, call the police.

Tell your insurer everything you have. You can fill out your part of the report on your own.

Damage to your home: in order

Immediate danger? Call 911. Fire, a gas smell, wires in water: get out first.
Limit the damage. Shut off the water main, cut the power if water nears outlets, tarp a roof or broken window. If the loss is covered, these reasonable costs are reimbursed too: keep the receipts. Don’t make permanent repairs before talking to your insurer.
Theft or vandalism? File a police report and note the incident number. Your insurer will ask for it.
Notify your insurer as soon as possible. Waiting can complicate the claim.
Take photos and videos before cleaning up. Dry wet items quickly to prevent mould. Don’t throw anything out before the insurer has seen it or agreed. If something has to go, like spoiled food, photograph and describe it first.
List what was lost: description, age, price paid, and any proof (receipts, photos, card statements).
Keep receipts for extra costs if you have to stay elsewhere: hotel, meals, laundry.

ExampleA pipe bursts under the sink at night. You shut off the water, mop up, film the kitchen and basement, then call your insurer in the morning. You keep the emergency plumber’s receipt and the fan rental receipt.

Do this today: film every room in your home, opening cupboards and drawers. Keep the video in the cloud. If something happens, your list of belongings will be much easier to make.

To keep it from happening again: see “Preventing damage” →

Who is the claims adjuster?

For a large claim, the insurer often sends you a claims adjuster. They find the cause, assess the damage and make you a settlement offer. They work for the insurer and must be certified by the AMF.

You can choose your own contractor, do the work yourself or use the one the insurer suggests. Agree on the terms with the adjuster first, since they can change depending on your choice.

Source: Chambre de l’assurance de dommages (ChAD).

Did you know?

The rains from storm Debby, on August 9 and 10, 2024, caused more than $2.5 billion in insured damage in Quebec. It’s the costliest weather event in Quebec’s history, ahead of the 1998 ice storm.Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada, with CatIQ data, September 2024.

Your duty to cooperate

After a loss, the law requires you to cooperate with your insurer. When it asks, you must, as soon as possible:

What your insurer can ask for

explain the circumstances: the probable cause, the nature and extent of the damage, and where the property is;
tell it whether anyone else has rights in the property, such as a lender, and whether another policy also covers it;
give it supporting documents: receipts, invoices, photos, police report;
confirm under oath that this information is true, if it asks.

If a serious reason prevents you, you’re entitled to a reasonable delay.

Source: Civil Code of Québec, article 2471.

A question about your own policy?

This site explains the general rules. Only your insurer can say what your policy covers: ask your agent or broker. This site doesn’t make recommendations. To choose coverage, also talk to a certified professional.

Check an agent or broker: AMF register, at lautorite.qc.ca
Insurance information: Autorité des marchés financiers
General insurance questions: Centre d’information sur les assurances, 514-288-4321 or 1-877-288-4321
Injuries in a car accident: SAAQ
Professional conduct: Chambre de l’assurance de dommages