Risk Management Services

Risk Management Services is responsible for the placement and administration of all County insurance coverage, assisting other departments in mitigating claims risk, approving third party insurance certificates and the handling of all third party liability claims made against the County relating to personal injury or property damage.

Claims

This information is intended as an informal guide to help you with the claims process. This is NOT a substitute for legal advice. If you have questions of a legal nature you should consult a lawyer. The County will not be held responsible for your costs unless you can provide evidence that the County committed a negligent act or omission which resulted in injury or damage.

The County of Wellington only compensates when it is legally liable for the damage sustained. This approach helps to reduce costs for the taxpaying public, who ultimately bear the cost of these claims. We suggest that you contact your own insurer regarding damages. If the insurer believes that the County is responsible for your damage, they will seek compensation on your behalf as stipulated in your insurance policy.

Anyone wishing to make a claim against the County of Wellington must do so in writing within 10 days of the accident/incident in accordance with Subsection 44(10) of the Municipal Act, 2001.

You can submit a claim for any of the following:

Slip, trip and fall claims on a County sidewalk or road
Property damage claims
Automobile collisions
Pothole claims

Making a Claim

The complainant must submit, in writing, a notice of claim regarding the incident. The notice/letter must contain, as a minimum, the following information:

Name
Address
Phone numbers
Detailed Description of the incident including date, time and location of incident
Damages suffered (copies of invoices or estimates)
Notice/Letter must be dated and signed

The following PDF Claims Form can be downloaded and submitted.

Written notice must be forwarded, to the County of Wellington Clerk, as follows:

County Clerk
County of Wellington Administration Centre
74 Woolwich Street
Guelph Ontario N1H 3T9
T 519.837.2600
F 519.837.1909

All correspondence/claims received by the County of Wellington will be date stamped at the time of receipt.

This procedure document does not constitute a waiver of any right the Corporation of the County of Wellington has with respect to a statutory defence of the incident. Written notice/letters must be submitted as soon as possible after the occurrence. Whenever damage to the County property is caused by a third party the County of Wellington Risk Management Services seeks recovery of the related costs from the responsible party.

Response Time

Upon receipt of your claim information by the Purchasing & Risk Management Division you will receive confirmation of your claim. Purchasing & Risk Management will initiate an investigation based on the information provided. The claim may be referred to an independent insurance adjuster in order for the adjuster to conduct the investigation into the facts and circumstances of the incident and to determine whether the County is legally liable for your claim.

Due to the uniqueness of each claim, the timeline of a decision of a claim will vary. When the investigation is complete the County or the independent insurance adjuster will contact you with the County's position.

My car is damaged on a provincial highway. How can I get reimbursed for my repair costs?

For more information

If you have any further questions about the claims process, please contact us at 519.837.2600 or email us.