Criminal record: a barrier to obtaining insurance coverage?

While everyone is equal before the law, not everyone is equal in the eyes of insurers. If you or your partner have a criminal record, you will be treated differently when purchasing insurance. There are 4 million Canadians in this situation.

Some companies will refuse to insure you altogether, while others will do so at a higher premium. Even without jail time and even after years have passed, your premium will be affected by your past offense.

Assurances Multi-Risques peut vous aider à trouver une nouvelle assurance, peu importe votre passé judiciaire. Ils vous offrent une deuxième chance. Oubliez le passé, on veut vous aider à trouver un assureur qui vous couvrira malgré votre casier judiciaire. Regardez vers l’avenir avec nos conseils.

Disclose your criminal history to the insurer

Plusieurs compagnies d’assurance refusent d’assurer les personnes avec un dossier criminel. Ce refus peut  toucher toutes personnes vivant sous le même toit. Dans les autres cas, ils vous assureront avec une surprime d’assurance salée, qu’il s’agisse d’assurance habitation, d’assurance automobile ou d’assurance moto.

Néanmoins, évitez de ne pas divulguer vos antécédents judiciaires pour déjouer votre assureur ou réaliser des économies.  Si vous le faites, vous risquez plutôt de vous trouver dans une situation de refus de couverture en cas de réclamation.

In fact, according to Article 2408 of the Civil Code of Québec, you are required to disclose any factor that could change the assessment of your risk.

False statements are costly

If you don’t, there could be serious consequences. An insurance company that agrees to insure you and later discovers the truth may cancel your insurance policy. It may even refuse to pay your claim.

In conclusion, remember that it is better to pay more for insurance than to go without protection. When the day comes that you need to make a claim, you will be relieved you did.

What should you do if your child has a criminal record?

You must report this to your insurer! This information must always be reported for all individuals residing under the same roof. As you may have guessed, the fact that someone living under your roof has a criminal record is an aggravating factor.

Some of our policyholders sometimes mention that an insurer did not ask them if anyone living under their roof had a criminal record. Even if you are not asked this question, you must still disclose this information to your insurer.

Finding insurance with a criminal record

Si vous êtes découragé par la résiliation de votre assurance automobile et habitation, rassurez-vous! Des assureurs spécialisés pour les clients avec un dossier criminel existent!

They have a wide range of expertise and can advise and develop strategies for people with criminal records.

Of course, in return, you will have to pay higher insurance premiums than with your previous insurer. This is because insurers offer fewer options for this type of policy.

The extent of your criminal record also has an impact on your premium and the coverage offered by your new insurer. These are factors that insurance companies take into consideration when assessing the level of risk.

Il est recommandé de contacter un courtier d’assurance indépendant pour être bien protégé, même en cas de problèmes avec la justice.

To speed up your acceptance process with a new insurer, we recommend that you have your up-to-date medical records on hand. You can provide them to the insurance broker who will defend your case.

Silence isn’t always golden!

As you have learned, in insurance, the opposite is true! The consequences of insufficient honesty or excessive discretion can be very costly. So be frank, admit your mistakes, and tell the truth.

You want to avoid insurance problems and further deterioration of your situation at all costs!