Storms are unpredictable. We aren’t.

Claims Handling Procedure

At Municipal Hail Insurance (MHI) we provide accurate and timely loss assessments along with unparalleled customer service from both our knowledgeable in-house staff and our highly trained field staff. MHI maintains an adequate and continuous reinsurance program in view of the significant values at risk annually insured. This method of protection and risk transfer not only guarantees the payment of claims in heavy loss years but also provides financial stability for the Association.

1. A claimant who suffers a loss from hail with damage estimated to be greater than 5% or greater than the deductible in effect can email, fax, phone, mail or login and submit a Notice of Loss to our office within 3 days of the hail storm. The claimant needs to include name and contact information of the insured, the storm date and time, the fields where the hail damage occurred along with the estimated damage and any information pertaining to other insurance in effect at the time of loss.
2. It is the responsibility of the insured to inspect all fields for damage before submitting a claim. If the insured is going to be away for an extended period of time it is their responsibility to appoint a representative or a Power of Attorney to monitor their crops while they are away. The appointed representative can submit a Notice of Loss on behalf of the insured and may also represent the insured and accompany the adjuster in the field, however, the representative can only sign the proof of loss if they have been appointed by the insured prior to the field inspection.
3. When our office receives a Notice of Loss the information is entered into our system, a claim is created and a claim number is assigned. The insured/claimant then receives a text message (pending their phone number is in our system) that includes their claim number.
4. The Claims Manager will then assign the claim to one of our Storm Supervisors. Once that happens, the claimant will receive one final text informing them that their claim has been assigned to an adjuster and that their adjuster will contact them within two weeks to set up a mutually agreed upon date and time to inspect the damaged fields.
5. The claimant is encouraged to accompany the adjuster throughout the inspection. All adjusters employed by Municipal Hail Insurance follow the loss adjusting procedures established by the National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS). Where a crop has received previous hail damage, subsequent damage will be calculated on the residue (remaining crop) from the previous damage only.
6. Once the adjustment process is complete, a Proof of Loss is generated. This Proof of Loss will show the total loss for all storms to date along with the percentage awarded for each count and the total indemnity owing. The adjuster then presents the Proof of Loss to the claimant. If the claimant agrees with the percentage of loss, both the claimant and the adjuster will sign off on the Proof of Loss. A copy of the Proof of Loss is then emailed, faxed or mailed to the insured and a copy is electronically sent back to head office.
7. Upon receipt of the signed Proof of Loss, head office will upload the loss percentages and an indemnity payment will be generated. The indemnity owing will be paid now or deferred as per the claimant’s instructions. All payments are issued by cheque. The claim is then closed and all documentation will be kept at head office.

Complaint Resolution Procedure

At Municipal Hail Insurance we take pride in being a customer driven business while still providing quality services. We strive to make the insurance process as smooth as possible for our customers as we know how stressful dealing with a loss can be. In the rare event that you are not completely satisfied with our services we have outlined the procedure for submitting a complaint down below.

1. If you have a concern regarding our agents, staff, services or procedures please let us know by calling our office at (306) 569-1852. You will be directed to one of our staff members who will be able to provide you with advice, help or direction in order to resolve your concern.
2. If step one fails, all relevant information will be passed on to the Complaints Officer and the complainant will receive a timeline of when they can expect to hear back from MHI.
3. There will be a thorough review done by the Complaints Officer along with any other relevant staff members before a proposed resolution is made. The Complaints Officer will contact the complainant and propose a resolution, which is then either agreed upon by both parties or if the complainant is still not satisfied, they can contact one of the Provincial regulators.

Proof of Loss Dispute Resolution

In the event of a dispute regarding a Proof of Loss where an agreement cannot be reached on the initial assessment, Municipal Hail Insurance has outlined the dispute resolution procedure down below.

1. The field adjuster calls in the Storm Supervisor to provide a second opinion. The storm supervisor will meet with the initial adjuster and claimant in the field to reassess the loss in question.
2. If step one fails, the claimant can ask for a re-inspection and another adjuster will be assigned by MHI to assess the loss.
3. If step two fails to settle the loss, the file moves to an appraisal.
4. In the event that the claimant, after signing the Proof of Loss as being acceptable, finds the damage greater than initially agreed to, MHI will take the following action:
   • If there is undisturbed evidence of the crop left in the field, the claimant can ask for another assessment of the loss (the results of which are not binding).
   • If the crop has been harvested, the claimant could ask the MHI Board to review the claim.

In all cases it is recommended that the claimant contact head office to discuss the options available as certain conditions apply in each case.