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RPT-Canada fire victims feel insurance squeeze amid clean up

Published 2016-06-09, 07:00 a/m
© Reuters.  RPT-Canada fire victims feel insurance squeeze amid clean up
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By Eric M. Johnson and Nia Williams
CALGARY, Alberta, June 9 (Reuters) - Two days after the Fort
McMurray wildfire turned Bruce Thompson's mobile home into a
pile of ash and rubble, he called his insurer to report the
damage, despondent as he discussed a life's worth of possessions
gone in seconds.
The broker made the situation worse. Insurance would only
pay him roughly C$60,000 ($46,959) for his possessions, about a
third of the appraised value. As if to console him, the broker
said there were "numerous people" like him - all under-insured.
Thompson's mobile home is among more than 2,400 properties
destroyed or damaged by flames, smoke, ash, mold or chemicals in
Fort McMurray area in May. With industry insiders estimating
losses at between C$3 billion-C$5 billion, the fire that raged
over this part of western Canada could be the nation's costliest
natural disaster ever for insurers.
Although evacuees only started returning to the city last
week, the insurance claims process is already deepening a sense
of misery for many homeowners and businesspeople starting to
rebuild their lives. This comes on top of the financial hardship
that many have suffered in this oil-producing region as prices
have remained in a slump.
"It's wrong, it's just terribly wrong," said Thompson, a
57-year-old heavy equipment operator. "They are trying to cut me
a check and I am not taking it, I am getting legal advice."
Many residents cited insurance representatives who shocked
them with lower-than-expected property appraisals, or long wait
times for damage inspections by company claims adjusters.
TW Insurance Brokers Inc, who sold Thompson his Aviva (LON:AV) Canada
insurance policy, would not discuss particular claims, but said
that a property loss is determined by the type of policy the
homeowner has purchased and a policy can provide replacement
coverage or cash at the time of the loss, with depreciation
factored in.
Aviva Canada declined to discuss the situation but said it
was "very much focused on our customers affected by the fires
and being there for them when they need us most."
Matthew Thompson, a 32-year-old local tire shop owner who
has been sleeping on a cot in his store for more than four
weeks, said his insurance company, Wawanesa, threatened to cut
his disaster relief stipend if he returned to his house before
an adjuster assessed the damage.
"I am a hardy individual, but hearing that my young children
have to stay away, and I have to keep working, it's something I
am not used to," said Thompson. "I am used to seeing my family
every day, at the end of the day."
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company said it would not
comment publicly on a specific claim, but added, "we are
committed to faithfully fulfilling all terms of the insurance
contracts we have in place" and are "particularly sensitive" to
the needs of clients in the Fort McMurray area.

FAST DAMAGE, LONG WAITS
It often can take weeks or months to complete an insurance
claim depending on the complexity of a case. Dozens of insurers
with exposure in the area have taken steps to ensure an
efficient process, such as bringing more than 800 adjusters and
creating makeshift information centers in the city, said Bill
Adams, a vice president at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, a
trade group.
"Every insurance company has a well-established plan for a
disaster, but this one is on a scale that's unprecedented for
the industry," Adams said. "For the complete rebuilding process,
you'll measure that in years, not weeks or months."
Several residents said their claims are off to a smooth
start. George Avgoustis, a Fort McMurray grocer whose store had
puddles of melted ice cream seeping into the aisles and rotten
meat oozing out of packaging at the start of a two-week cleanup,
said his experience has been good, at least so far.
"We have lawyers handling, and they say the early days of
insurance claims are always all smiles," he said.

'IT'S A NEGOTIATION'
Intact Financial Corp IFC.TO , Canada's largest property
and casualty insurer, said it would suffer losses ranging from
C$130 million and C$160 million, while Economical Insurance
expects pre-tax fire payouts between C$35 million and C$45
million.
Other insurers with significant exposure in the region
include the insurance arm of Toronto-Dominion Bank TD.TO and
AIG AIG.N .
One way to forecast how the insurance and rebuilding process
will unfold is to look to the 2011 Slave Lake fire, previously
Canada's biggest such insurance disaster, exceeding C$700
million with roughly 400 homes lost.
Among those who lost dwellings was Trevor Vance, a
40-year-old chemical company manager.
Vance said residents should get estimates from local
builders they trust to compete against the cheaper figures their
agents find, and "take as much time as they need" to complete
emotionally overwhelming tasks and paperwork. That includes
compiling a list of every possession lost.
"They are not looking out for you. You feel like they are,
but the more money they save, the better," Vance said.
($1 = 1.2824 Canadian dollars)

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