Lawyer pleads with insurers to extend Fort McMurray claims deadlines

A lawyer in Fort McMurray is calling for insurers operating in the area to extend their deadlines to settle wildfire claims.

In particular, local lawyer Terrence Cooper is asking insurance companies to postpone the deadline on claims filed in relation to the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. May 02 marks the two-year anniversary of the disaster, and many insurance policies only have a two-year window within which claims must be settled, or else policyholders cannot take insurers to court.

“This is a unique situation. This is not just a one-off or 10 houses being built,” Cooper told CBC News.

With his practice flooded with requests for help handling insurance claims, Cooper explained that he has seen clients whose insurers have taken the initiative to offer such extensions. Inspired by the gesture, he hopes that others will also follow suit.

“We’re actually seeing a little bit of a panic out there right now,” Cooper remarked.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), the wildfire incident caused $3.56 billion in damage – considered the costliest insured disaster in Canadian history. Roughly 50,000 insurance claims were filed following the incident, the bureau noted.

Cooper added that residents who do receive an extension should get it in writing to serve as proof. He also recommended that consumers sign a standstill or tolling agreement that legally protects an extension.

“We are saying to people, ‘Just be careful. Protect your rights,’” he said.

IBC said that it will issue guidelines on its official website for those Fort McMurray residents with outstanding insurance claims.