Policies

Middlesex Mutual strives to be the best insurance company in our community. So it is important to us, that you know we will treat you honestly and with respect when you deal with us.

Our policies

Please view the following to learn about Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co.'s policies, values and standards:

Accessibility
Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. is committed to providing its services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of individuals with disabilities. Those with disabilities will be given equal opportunity to obtain, use and benefit from our services, in the same place, and in a similar fashion as other individuals.

We welcome your comments to help us monitor and improve our services and experiences.

Please feel free to contact us by using any of the methods listed below:

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co.
P.O. Box 100
Ilderton ON
N0M 2A0

Phone: (519) 666-0075

Fax: (519) 666-0079

Email us

Documents can be made available in alternative formats, upon request.

 Disclosure - Agent and Broker Compensation

We believe in being accountable to our members by being fiscally responsible with their assets. As a policyholder of Middlesex Mutual it is important that we keep you fully informed.

We partner with a professional team of agents and brokers to distribute our insurance products. Our agents work exclusively for us, while our brokers sell for a variety of companies. Compensation of our agents and brokers is paid as a percentage of your insurance premium. Payment is for the services and value they provide to you, our members.

Listed in the chart below are the standard commission rates paid by line of business.

Standard Commission We Pay

Line of Business

Base Commission

Automotive

6% - 12.5%

Commercial

12% - 20%

Farm

12% - 20%

Residential

12% - 20%

Middlesex Mutual does not offer any other form of compensation, remuneration or loans, nor does it hold any equity in any brokerage that distributes our insurance products.

 Code of Consumer Rights

At Middlesex Mutual, we believe in treating all policyholders with fairness, integrity and understanding. As a consumer shopping for insurance you have rights and responsibilities.

Our commitment to you

Code of consumer rights and responsibilities*

Insurance companies selling home, auto and business insurance are committed to protecting your rights. These include the right to be informed fully, to be treated with respect, to timely claims handling and complaint resolution, and to privacy.

Insurance is a two-way contract, and you have a role to play. You are responsible for understanding your needs, asking questions and providing accurate, up-to-date information to your insurer. For more information about your role, speak to your insurance representative and read your policy.

Right to be informed

You have the right to an easy-to-understand explanation of how insurance works and how insurers calculate price based on relevant facts. You can expect to access clear information about your policy, your coverage and the claims settlement process. Under normal circumstances, insurers will advise an insurance customer of changes to, or the cancellation of, a policy at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the policy. Your insurer is required to provide you with the renewal terms of your policy at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the policy.

You have the right to know how your broker or agent is compensated, and if they have any conflicts of interest.

Right to timely and transparent claims handling

You can access your company's complaint resolution process. Your insurer, agent or broker can provide you with information about how you can ensure that your complaint is heard and promptly handled. You may also contact your provincial insurance regulator - Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (fsrao.ca).

Right to privacy

You have the right to understand how your personal information will be used. All insurers have privacy statements and are subject to Canada's privacy laws. Ask your insurer to provide you with a copy of its privacy statement.

Responsibility to understand your needs

You are responsible for asking questions and educating yourself about your policy. Visit www.ibc.ca for information about questions you should ask your insurance provider. Make sure you ask all relevant questions and give your insurance provider a detailed explanation of your circumstances to help him or her make informed recommendations on what your policy should include. This will ensure that you have the right insurance coverage.

You are responsible for making premium payments as required by your insurer. Failure to do so could result in a lapse of coverage or cancellation of your policy.

Responsibility to provide accurate information

You are required to provide all relevant information in your application for insurance and you must ensure that the information is accurate. If you have questions about the application or policy, contact your insurance representative and have him or her explain it to you to ensure that you understand your and the insurer's obligations.

Responsibility to update your information

To maintain your protection against loss, you must promptly inform your insurance company, broker or agent of any change in your circumstances, such as renovations to your home, the purchase of a big-ticket item that may require additional insurance coverage or having a home-based business.

Responsibility to report the facts

You must report an accident or claim, providing complete and accurate details, as soon as possible following the accident or incident giving rise to the claim.

*Code of consumer rights and responsibilities issued by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

Complaint Resolution Process 

At Middlesex Mutual, we want you to be confident in your decision to purchase insurance products from us. We are committed to treating you fairly and handling your claims with integrity and respect.

Introduction

If you have a complaint about our service or your claim, we want to work with you to try and resolve your concerns.

If you are not satisfied with a product or service provided by Middlesex Mutual, for any reason, we ask that you contact the Company. You can initiate a complaint orally or in writing.

We have a process in place to receive and handle complaints made against the Company, or any of its representatives.

Customer-focused approach

At Middlesex Mutual we are all committed to efficient and fair resolution of complaints.

There are steps you can take to have your concerns addressed:

Step one - Contact your agent or broker

We recommend as the first step that you contact your agent or broker. Most often they will be able to provide clarification to alleviate your concerns. If they are unable to resolve your complaint they will direct you to the appropriate company representative who can best look into your issue.

Step two – Contact your Middlesex Mutual Complaints Officer

Our company representative will attempt to provide further clarification to address the specifics of your complaint. Please have your policy or claim number available and be prepared to provide details of your complaint or concern. Our Middlesex Mutual representative will try to resolve the matter with you.

Email complaint officer

Phone: (519) 666-0075

Step three – Contact Middlesex Mutual - Office of the Ombudsman

The Ombudsman can investigate complaints regarding various issues but please be advised they cannot get involved in complaints about:

  • The investigation, negotiation or settlement of an insurance claim
  • Any situation involving litigation by the Insured against the Company or where the insured has retained legal assistance in that regard.
  • The cost of insurance
  • The availability of insurance

If you wish to file a formal complaint on any other issues that have not been resolved to your satisfaction, we require you to put your complaint in writing.

The complaint officer will acknowledge receipt of your concern within two business days. They will provide you with a response immediately following the completion of its investigation.

Please use our Ombudsman online form to submit the information directly to our Ombudsman.

Alternatively, you may provide us with a letter that includes the following information:

  • Your name, address and policy number or claim number
  • A phone number where you can be reached during normal business hours
  • The nature of your complaint, and
  • What it is you would like us to do

 

Send your letter to Office of the Ombudsman at:

Office of the Ombudsman
Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co.
15 Meredith Dr. PO Box 100
Ilderton ON N0M 2A0

E-Mail Company Ombudsman

Phone: (519) 666-0075

Step four – Further action

If the Company Ombudsman is unable to resolve your concern to your satisfaction, they will provide you with a letter outlining the company's final position. They will advise you that you can pursue your complaint further with the appropriate regulatory organization available to you as shown below:

 

25 Sheppard Ave W Suite 100,
North York, ON
M2N 6S6
Telephone: 416-250-7250
Toll Free: 1-800-668-0128

Privacy 

The Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. Privacy Code

Protecting the confidentiality of personal information provided by our policyholders, employees and customers has always been an important part of the way we do business. To ensure that we protect your privacy, Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. has adopted a Privacy Code. This Code sets out how and why we collect and use personal information about our customers. It also explains limited circumstances under which we need to be required to disclose it.

“Personal Information” means information that identifies you as a specific individual. It may include an individual's date of birth, family status, marital status, occupation, medical and health records, assets, liabilities, income, credit and payment record of the individual, an individual's previous insurance experience including claims history, and an individual's driving record. It does not include the sort of general information that could be found in a business directory or a telephone book.

Effective January 1, 2004, the Government of Canada has implemented the last phase of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This federal statute has been applied to insurance companies and many other industry sectors.

This legislation establishes rules and principles for the use and disclosure of personal information based on the ten privacy principles developed by the Canadian Standards Association. These principles recognize that we live in an era where commercial information is exchanged and circulated by electronic means. It balances the individual's right to privacy in their personal information with the reasonable need of organizations to collect, use or disclose personal information.

Under the legislation, an organization may collect, use or disclose personal information only for limited purposes that a reasonable person would consider to be appropriate in the circumstances.

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, requires us to provide the same safeguards for your privacy that we have always provided on a voluntary basis. Our Privacy Code sets out these principles in simple terms. It explains how we ensure that your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information are protected.

Our Privacy Code

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co.'s Privacy Code is based on the following ten principles adopted by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Principle #1: Our Accountability for the Collection, Use or Disclosure of Personal Information

As a customer of Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co., you have a right to expect we are accountable for the personal information we collect and use. “Customer” means a current policyholder, a former insured, an applicant for insurance, a claimant under one of our policies as well as an individual insured as part of a group or corporate policy.

We are responsible for maintaining and protecting your personal information while it is under our control. This includes any personal information that may need to be disclosed to third parties for processing or other administrative functions.

To help ensure the confidentiality of your personal information, we have established policies and procedures to ensure that we comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. We have designated a privacy officer who is responsible for our company's compliance with the ten privacy principles by the Canadian Standards Association.

If you have any questions or inquiries about how your personal information is stored, or when it may need to be disclosed to others, our privacy officer is there to assist and explain our policies to you.

Principle #2: Identifying Our Purpose for the Collection, Use or Disclosure of Personal Information

Before or when we collect information about you, we will explain how we intend to use it. Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. collects personal information only for the following purposes:

  1. To provide ongoing service to our customer;
  2. To help us understand our customer's needs better;
  3. To develop, enhance, market or provide insurance products and services;
  4. To enable us to underwrite your policy of insurance and set a fair premium;
  5. To provide us with the information that we need to adjust a claim in a fair and expeditious way;
  6. To detect or prevent fraudulent claims;
  7. To comply with statistical requirements;
  8. To meet our legal and regulatory requirements under third party agreements, the Insurance Act and other relevant statutes.

Unless we are required by law, Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. will not use or disclose any personal information that has been collected without documenting the new purpose and obtaining your consent. If you have any questions about these purposes, our privacy officer will be pleased to explain them to you.

Principle #3: Obtaining Your Consent for the Collection, Use or Disclosure of Personal Information

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. will make a reasonable effort to make sure that our customers understand and consent to how their personal information will be used by the company. By providing this information to us, we assume your consent to use this information in an appropriate manner.

We will have obtained your consent by written or verbal means, or by virtue of a signed application before collecting information from third parties such as other insurers and insurance service companies.

In certain circumstances, however, personal information may need to be collected, used or disclosed without the knowledge and consent of the individual. For example, legal, medical, or security reasons may make it impossible or impractical to seek consent.

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act recognizes that when information is being collected for the detection and prevention of fraud or for law enforcement, seeking the consent of an individual may defeat the purpose of collecting the information. Seeking consent may also be impossible or inappropriate when the individual is a minor, seriously ill, or mentally incapacitated.

In obtaining your consent, we will always use reasonable efforts to ensure that you are advised of the identified purposes for which any personal information collected will be used or disclosed.

Principle #4: Limiting Our Collection of Personal Information

We will always limit the collection or personal information to that which is necessary for the identified purposes. Typically, this is information that is required to enable us to underwrite your policy of insurance and charge a fair premium. We may need to collect personal information from other sources.

Under certain circumstances we need to collect information to assist us in adjusting or investigating a claim. This may involve the use of licensed and regulated independent insurance adjusters or investigators. We will always collect personal information by fair and lawful means.

Principle #5: Limiting the Use, Disclosure and Retention of Personal Information

Personal information will not be used or disclosed for purposes other than for which it was collected, except with your consent or as permitted or required by law. Your personal information will be retained only as long as it is necessary to fulfill those purposes.

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. may disclose a customer's personal information to following organizations:

  1. Another insurance company for the reasonable provision of insurance services. This may include another insurance company that is subscribing to the risk insured under our policy.
  2. Another person or corporation as part of conducting business. This may include reinsurance company, subject to that corporation agreeing to manage personal information in accordance with these privacy principles;
  3. A person or corporation that is involved in supplying us with claims support services. This may include a licensed independent insurance claims adjuster or investigator, or a fire or forensic expert or engineer.
  4. A medical or rehabilitation specialist or assessment clinic that is providing an opinion to us pursuant to our rights and obligations under the Insurance Act.
  5. A company or an individual employed by Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. to perform data processing, accounting, actuarial or statistical functions on our behalf.
  6. A person or corporation involved in the development, enhancement, marketing or provision of our insurance products and services.
  7. An agent used by Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. to evaluate to collect an outstanding account. This may include collection agencies.
  8. A public authority or agent of a public authority, if the information is required to comply with a provincial or federal statute or regulation.
  9. A law enforcement agency, where our customer consents to such disclosure or disclosure is required by law or emergency.

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. does not provide or sell its customer lists to any outside company for use in marketing or solicitation. Only employees with a business “need to know”, or those whose duties require it, are granted access to personal information about our customers.

We keep personal information only as long as it remains necessary or relevant for the identified purposes or are required by law. Personal information that is no longer necessary or relevant for the identified purposes or required to be retained by law is destroyed, erased or made anonymous.

Principle #6: Keeping your Personal Information Accurate

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. makes every effort to ensure that personal information about its customers is as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

This may require contact with your insurance agent or broker to confirm or update personal information required for underwriting purposes. In addition, the Insurance Act and the terms and conditions of your policy of insurance may require you to notify us of material changes to your personal information.

If you have any questions about the accuracy and completeness of the personal information that we have collected or retained, please do not hesitate to contact our privacy officer. If you need to update some aspect of your personal information, please contact your insurance agent or broker directly.

Principle #7: Safeguarding Your Personal Information

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. takes steps to protect personal information with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.

Specifically, we have stringent security measures in place to protect personal information against such risks as loss or theft, computer hackers, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying use, modification or destruction.

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. protects your personal information regardless of the format in which it is held. We also protect personal information we disclose to third parties by contractual agreements stipulating the confidentiality of the information and the purposes for which it is to be used.

All our employees with access to personal information are required as a condition of their employment to respect the confidentiality of personal information.

Principle #8: Openness Concerning the Privacy Practices

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. pursues a policy of openness about the procedures it uses to manage personal information. We will make specific information about our policies and practices relating to the management of their personal information available to customers upon request.

We ensure openness by providing you with the following information:

  1. The title and address of the privacy officer accountable for our compliance with the policy;
  2. The name of the individual to whom inquiries or complaints can be forwarded;
  3. The means of gaining access to personal information held by our company; and
  4. A description of the type of personal information held by Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co., including a general account of its use.

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. makes information available to help our policyholders exercise informed choices regarding the use of their personal information.

Principle #9: Customer Access to Personal Information

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. informs its customers of the existence, use, and disclosure of their personal information upon request and provides access to that information. Our customers are able to challenge or correct the accuracy and completeness of their personal information and have it amended when appropriate.

When a request is made in writing, we will inform you in a timely fashion, of the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information and you will be given access to that information. In order to safeguard your personal information, we may require you to provide sufficient identification information to permit us to authorize access to your file.

In certain exceptional situations, we may not be able to provide you with access to all of the personal information we hold. Exceptions may include information that is prohibitively costly to provide, information that contains references to other individuals, information that cannot be disclosed for legal, security or commercial proprietary reasons, information that is subject to solicitor-client or litigation privilege, or, in certain circumstances, information of medical nature. If this is the case, Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. will provide the reasons for denying access upon request.

Customers can obtain information or seek access to their individual files by contacting our designated privacy officer at the address described below.

Principle #10: Challenging Compliance

A customer has the right to challenge Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co.'s compliance with the above principles by contacting the privacy officer accountable for our compliance with the policy.

Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co. maintains strict procedures for addressing and responding to all inquiries or complaints from its customers about its handling of personal information. We inform our customers about our privacy practices as well as availability of complaint procedures, if necessary.

Our privacy officer will investigate all complaints concerning compliance with the privacy policy. If a complaint is found to be justified, we will take appropriate measures to resolve the complaint including the amendment of our policies and procedures.

In exceptional circumstances, the privacy officer accountable for compliance with our privacy policy may seek external legal advice where appropriate before providing a final response to individual complaints.

For Further Information

For further information, please contact our privacy officer, Penny Melhado:

Phone: (519) 666-0075
Toll Free: 1-800-851-4045
Fax: 519-666-0079
Email privacy officer

For general inquiries relating to privacy and what an individual's rights are, please visit the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC). This website will provide you with the latest news and information about how you can protect your personal information.

 

Terms of Use 

Updated October 24, 2018

Your Acceptance of these Terms of Use

Please read these terms of use carefully before using this website as they represent a binding agreement between each user of our website (“you”, “your') and Middlesex Mutual Insurance Co.'s (referred to as “Middlesex Mutual”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

If you wish to access and use the website, you must accept and agree to be bound by and comply with these terms of use. If you do not agree to these terms of use, then you must not access or use our website.

You agree that these terms of use, and any related information, communications and agreements between you and us, may be made available or occur electronically.

These terms of use were last updated on the “Updated” date indicated above. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify these terms of use at any time. Such modifications shall become effective immediately upon the posting thereof. You must review these terms of use on a regular basis to keep yourself apprised of any changes. You can find the most recent version of these terms of use at: http://www.middlesexmutual.on.ca

Use of Our Website

Middlesex Mutual grants you (as a permitted user) a limited, revocable, non-exclusive license to access our website for your own personal and non-commercial use and in compliance with applicable law. Use of our website beyond the scope of authorized access granted to you by these terms of use immediately terminates that license.

Access and use of our website may be subject to limitations, delays and other problems inherent in the use of the Internet and electronic communications. Middlesex Mutual is not responsible for any delays, delivery failures, or other damage resulting from such problems, or from the unavailability of the website for any reason.

All rights not expressly granted by these terms of use are reserved to us, or, if applicable, our licensors.

Trademark and Copyright Information

Our website contains content including, but not limited to, all text, audio, images and other materials or elements (collectively the “Content”). Content displayed on or through our website is protected by copyright as a collective work and/or compilation, pursuant to copyrights laws, and international conventions. Any reproduction, modification, creation of derivative works from or redistribution of our website or the collective work, and/or copying or reproducing our website or any portion thereof to any other server or location for further reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Middlesex Mutual.

Certain names, graphics, logos, icons, designs, words, titles and phrases on our website constitute trademarks, trade names, trade dress and brand names of Middlesex Mutual (collectively the “Marks”) and are protected in Canada and internationally. Any reproduction, modification, creation of derivative works or any other use of the Marks, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Middlesex Mutual.

You further agree not to reproduce, duplicate or copy Content and/or Marks from our website without the express written consent of Middlesex Mutual, and agree to abide by any and all copyright and trademark notices displayed on our website.

You may not decompile or disassemble, reverse engineer or otherwise attempt to discover any source code contained in our website. Without limiting the foregoing, you agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit for any commercial purposes, any aspect of our website.

Your Privacy

We respect your right to privacy. All information that we may collect via the website is subject to our Privacy Policy.

Secure Account

Certain sections of our website may only be available to you upon registration for a website account. By registering, you represent and warrant to Middlesex Mutual that: (a) all information provided by you to Middlesex Mutual during the registration process is truthful, accurate and complete; and (b) you will comply with these terms of use.

As a registered user, you agree to maintain and promptly update your registration information as necessary to keep it accurate, current and complete.

You will be responsible for any loss, damage, or additional costs that we and/or our service providers or others may incur as a result of your submission of any false, incorrect or incomplete information or your failure to update your registration or other information that you submit via our website.

You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account password, and that you (and not us) will be responsible for any loss resulting from any unauthorized use of your account or access to your content. You agree to immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your account.

Disclaimer Regarding Third Party Content

This website may offer access to third party websites and content available over the Internet. Middlesex Mutual generally exercises no control over such third party websites and content. You agree that it is your responsibility to review and evaluate any such content, and that any and all risk associated with the use of, or reliance on, such content rests with you. You are responsible for viewing, accepting and abiding by the terms of use and privacy policies posted at these third party websites. Inclusion of a link to third party content does not imply endorsement by Middlesex Mutual of such content. You further agree that Middlesex Mutual shall not be liable, directly or indirectly, in any way for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of, or in connection with your use of, or reliance on, any third party websites or content.

Disclaimer of Warranties and Liability

THIS WEBSITE (INCLUDING ITS CONTENT) IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Middlesex Mutual and its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, agents, service providers, shall not be liable for any (i) direct damages in excess of CDN$100; or (ii) special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including without limitation, lost revenues or lost profits, which may result from the use of the Content or this website. Middlesex Mutual may make changes to this Website, or to the products described therein, at any time without notice. Middlesex Mutual makes no commitment to update the information contained herein.

General Matters

These terms of use constitute the entire agreement between you and Middlesex Mutual regarding your use of our website, superseding any prior agreements between you and Middlesex Mutual. These terms of use and the relationship between you and Middlesex Mutual shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario (and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein) without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You and Middlesex Mutual agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Toronto, Ontario. The failure of Middlesex Mutual to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these terms of use shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of these terms of use is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavour to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of these terms of use remain in full force and effect.