Entrepreneurship is a true calling! It’s undoubtedly the best job in the world, but it’s also the most demanding! Many businesses have to insure vehicles for commercial purposes, but that can pose problems if you or one of your employees have a criminal record related to a past offence. Getting commercial car insurance can be difficult in such cases. Assurances Multi-Risques can help you! Judging people is not our business! We’re professionals willing to do everything in our power to provide you with the tools you need to insure your vehicles, and therefore allow you to go about your business without undue worries or nasty surprises!
Must you declare the fact that one of your employees has a criminal record?
Insurers must be informed if you or one of your employees have a criminal record. If you omit this information, your insurer may refuse to pay you in the event of a claim. In this case, the insurer will cite sections 2466 and 2467 of Quebec’s Civil Code stating that claimants are obligated to declare any circumstances that may increase the insurer’s risk. In insurance jargon, this is called an increased risk situation.
Here are a few tips to help make sure that you have declared everything that there is to declare to your car insurer:
We often discuss employee criminal records with employers who say that they are ill at ease with conducting security checks on their employees. As professionals we take the time to discuss this issue thoroughly and to have employers fully understand the risks that employees with criminal records pose for the business, not only in terms of car insurance, but also in terms of the business’s survival and success. For example, imagine that you have hired an employee who has previously been convicted of shoplifting and that your clients are grocery stores. The employee goes back to his old habits and commits several small thefts at your clients’ stores. Now, imagine the consequences for your business! That’s why we recommend that employers do a thorough security check on prospective employees in order to be fully aware of the person’s past. We also recommend to check the person’s record with the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec because an employee who drives aggressively or recklessly can give your business a bad name, and increase the probability of accidents, and therefore, insurance claims.
How do you insure one of your drivers who has a criminal record?
We believe that everybody is entitled to a second chance! Is your insurer is refusing to cover you because one of your employees has a criminal record? We recommend that you contact an independent insurance broker who deals with several specialized insurers who take on clients with a criminal record. One way to do things is to insure this employee with the specialized insurer. Your regular insurer will then be able to write off this person from his list so that you can continue to benefit from a preferential car insurance rate for the rest of your drivers. We suggest that you do this with a broker who will be able to make sure that things have been clearly stated with both insurers.
In conclusion, we think that a positive set of mind always pays when you’re an entrepreneur! Therefore, if the situation ever arises where you decide to hire an employee with a criminal record, don’t worry, we have solutions for you! We recommend that you inform your current insurer of the situation as quickly as possible in order to avoid problems, whether administrative or coverage-wise. As insurance specialists, Assurances Multi-Risques will make sure to counsel and guide you so that your business is well protected and can continue to thrive.