Accidents, mistakes, theft, and unexpected events beyond your control can befall any small business owner or independent professional throughout the year with little or no warning, regardless of how diligent and cautious you are.
Winter ups the risk ante significantly.
Winter doesn’t just bring snow and icy roads; it brings a surge in risks that can hit small business owners hard. From slip-and-fall lawsuits to equipment theft and vehicle damage, cold-weather hazards can quickly turn into costly insurance claims.
While Canada doesn’t publish a single national database dedicated to winter-specific business insurance claims, data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada consistently shows a seasonal spike in weather-related losses. In 2024 alone, severe weather caused $9.2 billion in insured damages, with $1.8 billion tied to commercial property and vehicles.
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Below are nine real winter insurance claims filed by Zensurance clients last year. The details of each of the following wintertime claims illustrate how the business insurance our clients purchased helped protect their financial well-being and enabled them to recover quickly:
1. Theft of Equipment
Client’s industry: Snow Removal & Landscaping
Winter is peak season for snow removal professionals and prime time for equipment theft. For one of our snow-removal clients, thieves broke into their storage trailer in late December and stole a commercial-grade snow blower.
The tools and equipment insurance policy they purchased through Zensurance reimbursed them for over $2,000 to replace the machine quickly and keep their contracts on schedule.
2. First-Party Property Damage
Client’s industry: Retail
During a heavy snowstorm, a municipal snowplow accidentally struck and damaged the awning above our client’s street-facing retail shop. Although the client attempted to file a claim with the city, the municipality denied responsibility.
Thankfully, our client’s commercial property insurance policy covered over $9,000 in repair costs and to pursue the municipality for damages.
3. Third-Party Property Damage
Client’s industry: Dog Walker
While walking a client’s dog on a snowy afternoon, the animal in their care stepped on a hidden sharp object beneath the snow, cutting its paw and requiring emergency care.
Their general liability insurance policy, which included a veterinary fees extension, covered $1,000 of the unexpected emergency vet bill to treat the injured pooch’s paw and helped our client avoid a costly out-of-pocket expense.
4. First-Party Property Damage
Client’s industry: Landlord
Our client is a landlord and owner of a residential rental property. After a day-long heavy snowstorm, heavy, wet snow that had built up on the roof slid off like an avalanche and crushed the air conditioning unit attached to the side of the house. The damage was severe enough that the unit had to be replaced entirely.
The commercial property insurance policy they purchased from Zensurance paid over $3,000 to replace the air conditioner with a similar model.
5. Third-Party Property Damage
Client’s industry: General Contractor
Our client was hired by their customer to replace a broken window on the second floor of a home, which was allowing cold air to seep in.
After installing a new window and sealing the frame, our client descended from their ladder. Our contractor client slipped on black ice while retracting their ladder. The ladder toppled onto the customer’s vehicle, causing noticeable damage.
Their general liability insurance policy covered over $700 in damages to their customer’s vehicle.
6. Business Vehicle Damage
Client’s industry: General Contractor
Another of our general contractor clients uses their pickup truck for commercial purposes and has insured it for business use as part of their overall policy.
While driving to a job site on icy winter roads, our client attempted to stop after witnessing several collisions ahead. Despite having winter tires, their pickup slid on ice and rear-ended another vehicle. No one was injured, but the damage was extensive.
The commercial auto insurance policy they bought from Zensurance included optional collision insurance. The policy covered over $17,000 in damages to their vehicle.
7. Multiple Business Vehicle Damage
Client’s industry: General Contractor
Being a general contractor is tough work, and accidents come with the territory. One of our clients has three vehicles that his business uses for commercial purposes.
Following a severe ice storm, the weight of accumulated ice caused a tree near the client’s parking area to split and fall directly onto one of their three commercial vehicles, causing significant damage.
Our client purchased an all-perils commercial auto insurance policy from us to cover all three of his vehicles. The policy paid over $13,000 to cover the repairs to the damaged truck.
8. Slip-and-Fall Injury Claim
Client’s industry: Snow Removal & Landscaping
Running a snow removal business is high-risk, often due to the frequency of third-party bodily injury claims resulting from alleged slip-and-fall accidents.
Our client knows this to be true after being sued by an individual who alleged they were injured in a slip-and-fall at a site our client was responsible for de-icing and clearing.
After their claim against our client was investigated, it was confirmed that the plaintiff was injured on the property in question on a patch of ice our client had missed clearing.
Their general liability insurance policy covered a $100,000 settlement with the injured person.
9. Another Slip-and-Fall Injury Claim
Client’s industry: Snow Removal & Landscaping
Another snow removal client faced a similar lawsuit after someone was injured on a commercial property they maintained. However, investigators couldn’t confirm the contractor’s responsibility.
The case, stemming from an incident in 2022, remains ongoing. To date, the general liability insurance they bought from Zensurance has paid over $35,000 in our client’s legal defence costs.
Protect Your Small Biz This Winter & Year-Round With Low-Cost Insurance
Accidents and unforeseen events can strike at any moment, jeopardizing your business’s operations and financial health.
Regardless of your industry, location, or diligence, every small business owner and independent professional needs to be ready for the unexpected.
Securing a comprehensive business insurance policy is essential for safeguarding your finances when things inevitably go wrong.
Complete our online application to get a free quote in under five minutes.
Zensurance is Canada’s leading business insurance brokerage, helping hundreds of thousands of small business owners get affordable, customized coverage to run their businesses confidently.
Our team of licensed brokers will shop our partner network of over 50 insurers to find the right policy for your needs and budget, and issue your policy documents and a certificate of insurance in 48 hours or less.
– Reviewed by Reagan Elly, Senior Claims Advisor, and Alexandria Anthony, Senior Broker and Team Lead, Property & Hospitality, Zensurance.
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