An Ontario driver is calling out his car insurance company after he says he was forced to navigate a convoluted claims process which left him without a vehicle for eight months following a serious crash.

The insurance company, however, says that his account appears “incomplete” and that they are confident they followed “all appropriate processes” in adjudicating the claim.

“This should have been a straightforward claim,” Abdul Majid told CTV News Toronto through an interpreter.

Majid, a 65-year-old Maple, Ont., resident, was driving in Vaughan on Sept. 2 when he says that he slowed down for traffic and was rear-ended.

“The impact was really bad. My car spun out, went up onto the curb, landed on the side of the road, and was completely wrecked…I was shaken, but thankful to have made it out alive,” he said in an interview over the phone, adding that he suffered neck and back injuries from the impact.

Police responded to the crash and Majid said he reported the incident to his insurer, CAA Insurance, the next day. The car, a 2018 Lexus ES300h, was totalled and towed away.

The claims process begins

Once he was well enough, Majid said he began reaching out to his assigned adjuster to process the claim. But emails sent to CAA Insurance in the weeks and months following the crash (which were viewed by CTV News) appear to have gone unanswered.

Without guidance from CAA, Majid said he was forced to pay $9,940.61 out-of-pocket for the towing and storage fees to retrieve his vehicle and send it to a salvage yard.

On Nov. 6, anxious to get an update on the status of his claim, Majid reached out to CAA’s customer relations team. It was only then, he said, that he was told his assigned adjuster had left the company.

“I had been attempting to contact someone who was no longer employed there…and CAA said nothing,” he said.

About a month later, Majid said he was finally presented with a total loss settlement. He said CAA offered to cover only 50 per cent of the storage costs, citing that the rates were higher than the industry standard, and $21,075.90 (plus tax) for the car, which was thousands of dollars less than what he was expecting.

The initial settlement offer

Unsatisfied with the settlement, Majid sought an independent appraisal of the vehicle which he said valued it at $26,851.00 (plus tax). He also flagged the discrepancy to CAA’s ombudsperson.

“The moment we disputed both the towing reimbursement and the vehicle valuation, CAA suddenly announced that the claim was now under investigation, citing an alleged lien on the vehicle,” he said in an email, noting that the file had since been assigned to a second adjuster who asked him to take part in a phone call that lasted two hours to discuss the claim.

“That’s when I got a sense of betrayal,” he said.

In a ServiceOntario document obtained by Majid and viewed by CTV News, no liens were found on the vehicle, which was gifted to the family and never financed.

After submitting the requested documents to investigate the alleged lien, Majid said his file was reassigned to a third adjuster, who asked him to take part in a third-party forensic investigation of the crash, which would examine his vehicle’s speed at the time of the collision. He said he did so willingly as he had “nothing to hide.”

“It’s been very difficult. I’ve been stressed,” Majid said when asked how he’s handled the drawn-out experience of settling his insurance claim. “I’ve been unable to make it to physio appointments and medical appointments, which is very difficult.”

CAA responds

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for CAA Insurance said the claim has since been resolved.

“Insurance claims at CAA Insurance are assessed through a clear and established process designed to ensure fairness, accuracy, and timely resolution for all policyholders. A key part of that process is an insured person’s responsibility to share the required information in a timely manner to progress a claim,” they said.

Abdul confirmed that CAA has agreed to honour the independently-appraised value of his vehicle and 100 per cent of the towing and storage costs, but maintains that all requested documents were submitted as soon as possible.

“I’m glad that CAA is finally moving toward a resolution. That said, it is concerning that it took reaching out to CTV News to prompt meaningful progress,” he said in a follow-up email. “While CAA now appears to be fulfilling its contractual obligations, I still believe the handling of my claim warrants a regulatory review.”

Majid says although the claim has been settled, he plans to pursue legal action against CAA to seek compensation for loss of use and other damages as a result of their alleged handling of his claim.

For its part, a spokesperson for CAA told CTV News that while they can not divulge details about claims, the account provided by Majid “appears misleading and incomplete.”

“We are confident that CAA Insurance followed all appropriate processes and, in fact, went above and beyond to proactively communicate and resolve this claim,” the spokesperson said.

Claims process shouldn’t take 8 months, but disputes ‘not uncommon’: insurance expert

In an interview with CTV News, Anne Marie Thomas, director of consumer and industry relations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), said most auto insurance claims can be settled in as little as two weeks to a month — if there are no hiccups.

“Assuming you know, there’s no delay waiting for parts. There’s no delay waiting for signatures, back and forth between the insured, the body shop, etc, etc, but a straightforward claim should take no more than two weeks, usually,” she said.

Although Thomas was not involved in Majid’s case, she said that his experience sounds like an “anomaly” and his claim likely shouldn’t have taken eight months to resolve. However, she also said it’s “not uncommon” for a dispute to delay the process.

“We all think that our possessions might be worth more than they are, and the insurance company may think the complete opposite,” she said.

“So do your homework… What is a vehicle of similar like and kind with the similar mileage, in similar condition, what is that selling for? And you can bring that evidence to the adjuster and go, ‘Okay, you offered me this. My research finds that I should be getting this. What do you think?’”

Thomas added that if you aren’t hearing back from your adjuster following a collision, escalate the issue as soon as possible and reach out to the insurance company’s ombudsperson (like Majid did) to help expedite the process.