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Aviva to launch overland flood endorsement for Ontario, Alberta home policyholders in May


February 19, 2015   by Canadian Underwriter


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In a move welcomed by Ontario’s insurance brokers’ association, Aviva Canada announced Thursday that this May, it will offer Ontario and Alberta homeowners an overland water endorsement – coverage which has generally not been available to Canadian homeowners – insuring losses arising from the accumulation or run off of surface waters.

“In general,” overland flooding is not currently covered on home insurance policies, the Insurance Bureau of Canada notes on its website.

will offer Ontario and Alberta homeowners an overland water endorsement

But with the launch of Aviva’s overland flood endorsement this year, home policyholders could be covered for “losses that result from the accumulation or run off of surface waters, including torrential rainfall when water enters the property,” Aviva suggested Thursday in a press release.

Related: Water, Water Everywhere

“The endorsement forms a key part of the Aviva Water Protection package, which combines base policy water protection (broken water pipes and more), sewer back-up protection (the backing up or escape of water or sewage) and overland water protection (from water entering the property),” Aviva stated.

The Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario “commends the leadership position Aviva has taken to provide overland water coverage to the industry,” IBAO president Michael Brattman told Canadian Underwriter. “This demonstrates Aviva’s forward thinking in benefiting all consumers as well as their continued support of the broker channel.”

Related: Canada needs national flood insurance initiative, experts say

Aviva’s overland home flood coverage will be “available as an endorsement to personal property insurance policies that have sewer back-up protection in place,” Aviva says, noting that in addition to Alberta and Ontario, the endorsement will “then rolled out to other provinces throughout 2015.”

Related: Crawford Canada CEO urges industry to work with competitors on overland flooding

IBC notes that currently, overland flooding and seepage “generally is not covered by home insurance because it is only a risk for the small percentage of the population who live in a flood plain.”

Related:  U.K. agreement to help make flood insurance affordable in high-risk areas

But Aviva noted Thursday that catastrophes such overland flooding “are on the increase.”


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