We have a winner! Agnes Hyde was drawn out of the raffle on April 12 to win an autographed Blades jersey. She will be entered in IBAS's province-wide contest for the grand prize of a ttrip for two to Quebec City to attend two games of the MasterCard Memorial Cup. Thanks to everyone who entered, the Blades hockey team, IBAS, the WHL, and good luck Agnes in the final draw for the tickets to Quebec City!

LOCATION:
Rural Saskatchewan road

CAUSE OF LOSS:
Collision with a locomotive at an uncontrolled railroad crossing

COST OF LOSS:
Total paid/reserved: $650,000. (Trailer: $50,000; Property damage to train: $600,000;
Loss of earnings/business interruption due to damage to train tracks and locomotive: undetermined)
In December, the insured was driving a load of wheat to a terminal. Distracted, he drove through an
uncontrolled rail crossing. An approaching train split the trailer in half. The insured’s package policy
protected him for $1 million of liability, which covered the loss.

LESSONS LEARNED:
Avoid financial ruin by carrying the appropriate insurance coverage; for a minor cost (an extra $30 in
this case), you can protect yourself from unnecessary loss.

LOCATION:
Rural Saskatchewan highway

CAUSE OF LOSS:
Head-on collision

COST OF LOSS:
Total loss: $2.5 million. (Truck and horse trailer: $250,000; Property damage – horses, truck and
trailer: $2.5 million)

DETAILS OF LOSS:
A young son was driving his mother’s car on a rural Saskatchewan highway. He crossed the centre
line and collided with a semi-tractor trailer, causing the semi, trailer and cargo (competition horses)
to be deemed a total loss. The insured had basic plate coverage of $200,000 and $1 million liability
on the policy. Due to the special design of the trailer and its use, a large loss of use claim occurred.
As well, the horses were expensive animals and brought a large property damage claim of
$2.5 million. The insured was not covered for approximately $1.3 million of the claim.

LESSONS LEARNED:
Always carry the right amount of insurance for your protection – though basic plate insurance is
significant, it may be necessary to purchase more coverage to be fully protected from all losses. In
this case, for an additional $60, the total loss would have been covered.

LOCATION:
Town home

CAUSE OF LOSS:
Fire caused by an electric hair straightener

COST OF LOSS:
$263,000

DETAILS OF LOSS:
The insureds’ daughter was the last to leave the home in the afternoon to go to work. When the
insureds’ arrived home later they noticed smoke coming from the windows. They went to neighbour’s
house and called the Fire Department. The dwelling and contents in the basement sustained heavy
fire damage, while the remainder of the home sustained smoke and water damage. The Fire
Commissioner investigated and determined the cause of the fire to be the hair straightener left on in
a bedroom located in the basement.

LESSONS LEARNED:
When using electric curling irons, hair straighteners or other appliances that generate heat, be sure
to unplug it after each use and place them in a secure position away from any flammable materials.
Never leave your home without checking to make sure any irons, curling irons, etc. are unplugged
and in a safe location.

Do you have lots of STUFF? Whether you are a tenant, condo owner or homeowner having a record of your belongings will always come in handy in the case of a claim. And they're also kind of fun to fill out!

Keeping an up to date record will help you stay organized in the case of a claim. Suffering any sort of loss to your dwelling can be an overwhelming experience, and having a list of the details of your belongings and their values makes going through the claims process much simpler and less stressful than having to recall everything off the top of your head. This list can also help you make sure your insurance coverages are enough to protect you in the case of a total loss.

You might even find this list handy for many other uses (maybe it will even spur a garage sale)!

You can print off a list of common household items and personal belongings here. We can even hang on to a copy in your file for you to make sure it is safe.

Do you have STUFF?