Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. has been providing claims
related outsourcing services to the insurance and risk
management industry since 1930. We are committed to the
highest ethical standards both as to the accuracy and
careful treatment of personal information that comes into
our possession as part of the services we render to our
clients. Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. gathers personal information
only in connection with claims related and risk management
activities and our staff have been trained to treat personal
information carefully and with respect.
Why
Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. Collects and Discloses Personal
Information
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. collects and discloses personal information
to enable our instructing principals to satisfy themselves
as to the entitlement of their client to benefits arising
from contracts of insurance or under self-insured plans.
It also includes collecting and disclosing personal information
about third parties with respect to claims made against
clients of our principals.
The
Kinds of Personal Information Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd.
Collects
The
type of information Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. collects
depends upon the type and nature of the claim or risk
circumstances. This may include previous claim history,
financial, medical health or employment information. We
may seek claim validation information from retailers,
wholesalers and suppliers of goods and services. In appropriate
cases we may also seek information from authorities such
as the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Labour,
Office of the Fire Marshal, Police and Fire Services,
Municipalities, Towns and Cities.
How
Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. Obtains Personal Information
In
most cases a significant, if not exclusive portion of
personal information is collected directly from the insured
or self-insured party, or a third party making a claim
against an insured or self-insured party.
Some
personal information may be provided by an instructing
principal or their agents such as insurance brokers.
Personal
information may also be collected from involved parties
such as public officials (Fire Department, Police, Office
of the Fire Marshal), Witnesses, Private Investigators,
Credit Bureaus, Title Searchers and the like. The organizations
with which we deal are subject to their own privacy codes
and we respect those codes. In some cases Plant Hope Adjusters
Ltd., or those we entrust with specific services, will
infer such consent where appropriate. If an instructing
principal tells Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. that they have
consent to collect information we will rely on that instructing
principal's advice. Consent may not be obtained with respect
to the collection of certain publicly available information.
If information is collected with respect to an investigation
involving a suspected breach of an insurance policy (or
other agreement) or breach of Canadian law, then consent
may not be obtained.
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. Disclosure of Personal Information
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. discloses personal information, including
to its affiliated companies, only for the reasons listed
above or if required to do so by law. The majority of
information is disclosed or transferred solely to our
instructing principals. However, in order to collect the
information required by our principals to provide claim
or risk services we may disclose personal information
to third party service providers. This would include (but
not limited to) insureds, insurance brokers, insurance
adjusters, automobile repair companies, contractors, construction
companies, investigators, engineers, accountants, lawyers,
and others. We may also disclose personal information
to authorities with jurisdiction such as Fire Departments,
Fire Marshals, Police and other Federal, Provincial or
Municipal authorities for the purposes of verifying the
circumstances surrounding a claim. We obtain consent to
disclosure when required. Consent may also be inferred
where appropriate. If an instructing principal advises
us that they have their client's consent to disclose information,
we will rely on our instructing principals' advice.
Where
Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. discloses personal information
to an approved investigative body (such as the Insurance
Crime Prevention Bureau) or when we believe that the information
relates to the breach of an insurance policy or other
agreement of Canadian law, or where we are required by
law to disclose the information, consent may not be obtained.
Similarly, if personal information is disclosed to a lawyer
for claims purposes or to obtain legal advice, consent
may not be obtained.
How
Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. Ensures the Security of Personal
Information
Personal
information recorded in documents is securely stored at
Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. offices and its employee's offices
in Canada and at office of Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. affiliated
companies. Electronically recorded information is stored
on computer systems maintained by Plant Hope Adjusters
Ltd. and Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. affiliated companies.
These computer systems and the information stored in them
are protected by electronic security systems.
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. and its affiliated companies restrict
access to personal information and Plant Hope Adjusters
Ltd. employees, contractors and representatives are under
obligation to access personal information only when they
have a legitimate business need to do so. Plant Hope Adjusters
Ltd. employees receive training with respect to proper
personal information handling practices and they are under
obligation to comply with the privacy laws, this policy
and related codes of conduct.
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. compliance with appropriate personal
information practices and privacy laws is overseen by
and is the responsibility of our Privacy Officer(s).
Accuracy
and Access to Personal Information
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. is committed to the accuracy and completeness
of its personal information it uses or discloses to its
instructing principals.
Upon
written request and subject to the following (and any
other reasonable conditions which may be necessary) we
will provide reasonable access to personal information
exclusively to the individual to whom it refers. We will
not provide access in any of the following circumstances:
If
doing so would likely reveal personal information about
a third party;
If the information is subject to solicitor-client privilege;
If revealing the information would reveal confidential
commercial information;
If revealing the information could affect the security
of another person;
If the information relates to the actual or suspected
breach of an insurance policy or other agreement or the
breach of a Canadian law, or;
If the information was generated in the course of a formal
dispute resolution process;
Where Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. is acting as agent for
an insurer or other instructing principal where that principal
has the responsibility to respond to access to personal
information.
Amendments
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd. may amend this policy from time to
time at its discretion. A current version of the privacy
policy (which should not be confused with our Internet
Privacy Policy) is always available on Plant Hope Adjusters
Ltd. main web site "Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. Privacy
Policy" at http://www.planthope.com.
Further
Information
Request
for further information, personal information access or
complaints about Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd. handling of
personal information should be referred to Plant Hope
Adjusters Ltd. Privacy Officers as follows:
Plant
Hope Adjusters Ltd.
P.O. Box 1489
Moncton, NB
E1C 8T6
Attention:
Privacy Officer
Telephone No: (506) 853-8500
Fax No: (506) 853-8501
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