Desjardins Insurance Claims
The question people ask second — right after what it will cost — is how they are getting to work tomorrow. Here is how that part of a claim usually works.
This guide covers
- Focus
- Rental cars, loss of use and getting around
- Shop choice
- Yours, in Alberta
- Estimates
- Free and written
- You pay
- Your deductible
Desjardins Insurance
Rental cars, loss of use and getting around
Loss of use coverage pays for alternative transport while your vehicle is being repaired. It is an optional add-on in many policies rather than an automatic inclusion, and it usually carries both a daily limit and a total limit — which is why people sometimes discover halfway through a repair that it has run out.
The daily limit matters more than most people check. If your coverage pays a set amount per day and the rental you have booked costs more, the difference is yours. Confirm the figure before you collect a vehicle, not afterwards.
Have this ready
- Confirmation of whether your policy includes loss of use
- The daily limit and the total limit in dollars
- Your driver's licence and a credit card for the rental company
- The claim number and your adjuster's contact details
- A realistic repair timeline from the shop — ask us and we will give you one
The detail
Rental cars, loss of use and getting around
Daily and total limits
Two separate ceilings. Ask for both figures at the point the claim is opened rather than assuming.
Class of vehicle
Coverage is usually for a comparable class, not for whatever is on the lot. Upgrades are normally at your own cost.
If the repair runs long
Parts delays and supplement approvals can extend a repair. We tell you as soon as a date moves so you can talk to your adjuster about the coverage before it lapses.
Total loss timing
Loss of use on a written-off vehicle typically ends a set number of days after the settlement offer, not when you find a replacement. Plan for that gap.
What we do on your claim
You should not be managing your own claim while also getting to work without a car.
Document
Photographs and a written scope of every damaged area before anything is touched.
Submit
An itemised estimate in the format adjusters work in, followed up rather than left in a queue.
Supplement
Hidden damage photographed and submitted the same day it is exposed, then chased to approval.
Hand back
Quality inspection, your full repair file, and a warranty you can hold us to.
Am I automatically entitled to a rental car?
Not automatically. Loss of use is an optional coverage in many policies. Check whether you have it and what its limits are as soon as the claim is opened.
What if the repair takes longer than my coverage lasts?
Talk to your adjuster as soon as you know — extensions are sometimes possible, particularly where the delay is a parts back-order rather than shop capacity. We will always tell you promptly when a date moves so you have time to have that conversation.
Does loss of use continue after a total loss decision?
Usually only for a limited period after the settlement offer is made, rather than until you have bought something else. Confirm the exact terms with your adjuster.
SAK Auto Group is an independent repair facility. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting as an agent of this insurer, and the names used here are for identification only. Your coverage is governed entirely by your own policy wording — confirm the specifics with your broker or adjuster.
Other guides
More on claims
- 01
Intact Insurance — Direct billing, estimates and supplements
How an Intact auto claim runs through our shop — estimate, authorisation, supplements and direct settlement.
- 02
Aviva Canada — Total loss decisions and reviewing a valuation
How a total loss decision is reached on an Aviva claim, and what you can do if the valuation looks low.
- 03
Wawanesa Insurance — Hail and comprehensive claims
How hail and other comprehensive claims work, why they are treated differently from an at-fault collision, and what to do first.
- 04
TD Insurance — Glass claims and ADAS calibration
How glass claims work, why chip repair is often free, and why recalibration is not an optional extra.
Start your claim estimate
Send photos and your claim number. Written estimate back within one business day, and we deal with the adjuster.