Introduction 

This procedure applies to all of the member companies of Northbridge Financial Corporation, which includes Lombard General Insurance Company of Canada, Lombard Insurance Company, Commonwealth Insurance Company, Federated Insurance Company, Markel Insurance Company and Zenith Insurance Company (“Northbridge”).

If you have a complaint or concern about a product or service provided by Northbridge, your first step should be to contact your independent insurance broker. Your broker will work with you to deal with your complaint or concern.

If, after speaking with your broker, you still wish to raise your complaint or concern with Northbridge, then the following steps may be taken:

Contact a Northbridge Representative

If you know the name of the Northbridge representative, contact that person directly. If you are uncertain who to contact, then your broker can provide you with general contact information for Northbridge. You may also find general contact information for Northbridge on this website under “Our Company: Locations”. Please have your policy or claim number available and be prepared to provide details of your complaint or concern. The Northbridge representative will try to resolve the matter with you.

Contact Northbridge's Office of the Ombudsman

If the Northbridge representative is unable to resolve your complaint or concern to your satisfaction, you may contact Northbridge's Office of the Ombudsman, which will review your complaint or concern to ensure it has been properly and fairly considered.

You may reach the Office of the Ombudsman at:

Office of the Ombudsman
Northbridge Insurance
105 Adelaide Street West, 3rd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H 1P9

Email: ombudsman@nbfc.com

Telephone: 1-800-268-9680 ext. 4445
Fax: 416-350-4417

If you are in the province of Quebec, you may reach the Office of the Ombudsman at:

Office of the Ombudsman
Northbridge Insurance
Bureau 400
1000 Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest
Montréal, QC H3B 4W5

Telephone: 1-800-361-2837
Fax: 514-284-8070

The Ombudsman's Office will acknowledge receipt of your complaint or concern within two business days, and provide you with a response immediately following the completion of its investigation.

Contact the General Insurance OmbudService

If Northbridge's Office of the Ombudsman is unable to resolve your complaint or concern to your satisfaction, it will provide you with a final position letter explaining Northbridge's position, and advising you that you may escalate your complaint outside of Northbridge to the General Insurance OmbudService (“GIO”) for dispute resolution. The GIO is an independent organization that assists Canadian consumers with most disputes concerning their home, auto, or business insurance that they have been unable to resolve with their insurer. For more information about the GIO, visit their website at http://www.giocanada.org/ or call toll free at the following numbers:

1(800) 565-7189 (Atlantic Provinces)
1(800)361-5131 (Quebec)
1(877)225-0446 (Ontario)
1(888)421-4212 (Western Canada & the Territories)

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (“FCAC”) is an independent government body responsible for supervising financial institutions to ensure they comply with federal consumer-oriented laws and regulations (called “consumer provisions”). If you have a complaint about an obligation of Northbridge Insurance under a consumer provision, you may contact the FCAC in writing at Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, 6th Floor Enterprise Building, 427 Laurier Ave. West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 1B9. For more information about the FCAC and consumer provisions, visit the FCAC's website at http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/, or contact the FCAC at the following numbers:

1(866) 461-3222 (English)
1(866) 461-2232 (French)
(613) 941-1436 (Fax)