Quebec insurer group allows consumers online access to claims history

The association that includes all the private auto insurance carriers in Quebec announced Wednesday that consumers in the province can now consult their claims file online and can request access.

Consumers can now request access to the Fichier central des sinistres automobiles (FCSA), a database that tracks losses filed in Quebec for the past six years, the Groupement des assureurs automobiles (GAA) said.

“The FCSA is consulted more than 12,000 times a year, so there are many consumers who want to know what’s in their Claims History Statement,” Diane Plourde, FSCA Supervisor, Compliance and Consumer Relations noted in a GAA statement. “Now that they can access their file on line, this will certainly meet their expectations and allow them to do so more quickly.”

Created in 1990, the FSCA “…allows insurers to know their clients’ loss experience, a key criteria in establishing the auto insurance premium,” Plourde added.

The online form is available on GAA’s website. Once the request is processed by a GAA agent, consumers can access a secure site where they can view or download their claims history statement. The new option for policyholders doesn’t change the process for insurers and brokers, GAA noted.

GAA is also reminding consumers of the importance of declaring all accidents, even minor ones. “You’re better off declaring the accident to your insurer so that you can give your version of the facts,” Plourde said. “This allows the insurer to establish liability for the accident and note it in the FCSA.”