Filing Your Autopac Claim In Manitoba: Steps, Tips, And Time Limits

We want to make claiming with MPI as simple to understand as possible. This article explains the claiming process in all of its nuances, with a focus on vehicle damage claims (not injury claims). Here’s what you need to know:

Understanding MPI / Autopac Claim Basics

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is a Crown corporation that provides compulsory auto insurance for Manitobans; Manitoba drivers must purchase insurance through MPI. Autopac is the name for the suite of auto insurance coverages offered by MPI.

Autopac’s Basic Coverage offers up to $70,000 worth of protection for your vehicle, whether it’s damaged through collision, upset, or other causes (including vandalism and theft); it’s comprehensive insurance. 

Autopac Basic Coverage is for the actual cash value of your vehicle; this means the value of your vehicle depreciates over time in most circumstances. The make, model, year, kilometres driven, and condition of your vehicle will all affect how much MPI will pay out.

All of Autopac’s policies come with a standard basic deductible of $750. On something like a home insurance policy, this would mean that your insurance policy would pay out the value of your claim minus $750 if your claim was covered. With MPI, however, deductibles are based on fault in collisions – if the other driver was 100% responsible for the collision, you would not have to pay your deductible, while if you were both 50% responsible, you would have to pay $375 each. If the other party’s vehicle was damaged, you may also need to pay half of their deductible. 

Those are the basics of Autopac’s Basic Coverage; we haven’t covered everything (or all of the nuances), but explained enough so that we can discuss the claiming process: 

When Should You File A Claim?

There are two different circumstances in which you might file a claim: When you were in an accident, and at any other time.

When you are in a collision, you should always report it to MPI – whether that collision was with another vehicle or not. Even if your vehicle was not damaged in the collision, reporting helps MPI understand how the collision happened.

In other scenarios – theft, vandalism, water damage, and other risks fall under this category – whether or not you report to MPI is up to you. We highly recommend reporting all claims to MPI, as claiming does not affect your insurance premiums unless it impacts your Driver Safety Rating (DSR) – and that only happens when you’re involved in a collision.

Why wouldn’t you claim? The most common scenario is when a claim’s payout would fall below your deductible; in these scenarios, you might not want to bother filing a claim because you won’t get paid. MPI’s deductibles are per incident, so you can’t pay the $750 on one claim to avoid paying it on the next.

Even in these circumstances, however, we’d still recommend filing a claim; you might find that MPI is willing to pay out more than you expected. 

Step-By-Step Process To File An Autopac Claim

Autopac claims are grouped into three different categories: Collision claims, non-collision claims, and glass claims. Here’s how to file for each:

Collision Claims

The first thing to do in a collision is to make sure everyone is safe. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries, then check in with the other driver and their passengers. Once it is safe to do so, move your vehicle to the right side of the road, a nearby parking lot, or another safe area to allow traffic to pass.

Call emergency services if necessary. When safe to do so, exchange information with the other party or parties using MPI’s accident report form.

Once the report form is complete, report your collision to MPI. You will need:

• Your vehicle registration and the driver’s licence of whoever was driving your vehicle
• The details of the accident (who, what, when, where, how, why)
• Details about the other vehicles and drivers involved
• Information from witnesses

Non-Collision Claims

For non-collision claims, use MPI’s online claim tool. Theft, partial theft, attempted theft, and vandalism must be reported to the police.

Glass Claims

Glass claims are handled directly by MPI-approved glass shops. These shops will assess the damage, determine if you’re covered, and make the claim on your behalf; you will not need to contact MPI.

Some glass claims are the result of vandalism or attempted theft; you must report these claims to the police. You may also have non-glass claims associated with the same incident that led to your glass being damaged; these claims should be reported using the non-collision claims process. 

Repairs & Settlement

Your vehicle must be repaired by an accredited repair shop; MPI’s repair shop locator tool can help you find one. You will be assigned an adjuster who will go over the claims process with you and help you understand the repair and appeal options. An estimator will also be assigned to estimate the damage and what MPI can cover, as well as whether your vehicle was written off.

You may not be satisfied with the amount that MPI offers for repair, or in the case of a write-off, the amount offered to write off your vehicle. In those circumstances, you can appeal to the estimator or adjuster’s supervisor, or go through the appraisal process by hiring an independent appraiser. Should neither of these options work for you, you can go to court as a last resort. 

Time Limits, Deadlines, And Key Dates

For accident claims, MPI recommends reporting as promptly as you can, though there are no set timelines, but these accidents must be reported to the police within seven days if they involve a fatality, hospitalization, an unlicensed driver or unregistered vehicle, an unidentified vehicle (hit-and-run), failure to exchange particulars, or suspected alcohol/drug use by the other driver.

For non-collision accidents, you should report to MPI (and the police, if necessary) as soon as reasonably possible. Loss of Use coverage for theft has a waiting period of 72 hours from the time you first report the loss to the police or MPI, so the sooner you report, the better.

You can contact MPI at:

• 204-985–7000 (in Winnipeg)
• 1-800-665-2410 (outside of Winnipeg)

There is no specified time limit on glass claims, but getting glass damage fixed as soon as possible will help prevent the damage from spreading.

Finally, there are two rare (but important) deadlines and time limits you should know about:

• You have two years from the collision date to file a claim in small claims court against MPI.
• You have 30 days from when a car seat was damaged to provide MPI with proof of purchase and the damaged seat.

Get Your Autopac Claim Filed Correctly With Nation West

Need to file a claim? Looking for guidance? Get your Autopac claim filed with Nation West; contact our brokers today!