Desjardins Savings-Life Insurance

Class action

Option consommateurs filed a class action against Desjardins Sécurité Financière, compagnie d’assurance-vie (« DSF ») on the grounds that on June 1, 2016, it added cancer diagnostic coverage to Desjardins members’ savings-life insurance and increased their premiums without their consent.

The class action seeks reimbursement of premiums paid for cancer coverage to class members. The action also seeks a refund of $500 per class member as damages and payment of $10 million in punitive damages.

Who is a member of this class action?

You are a member of the class action if you purchased savings-life insurance prior to June 1, 2016, to which DSF automatically added cancer diagnostic coverage on or about June 1, 2016, and you have not already made a claim under that coverage.

What is the status of this class action

In September 2023, Option consommateurs and DSF have agreed to settle the class action.

The settlement agreement namely provides that DSF will refund premiums charged for cancer diagnostic coverage between June 1, 2016, and November 24, 2023 to each eligible class member who makes a valid claim and who waives their cancer diagnostic coverage retroactively, under the condition that the class member never wanted this coverage (less a portion of class counsel’s fees and the amount payable to the Fonds d’aide aux actions collectives). The claims period is ongoing and will end on February 22, 2024.

The settlement agreement also provides that DSF will pay an amount of $3 million that will be remitted to charitable organizations as an indirect compensation to the class members, after payment of disbursements and of a portion of class counsel’s fees, and will pay the costs of the settlement agreement.

On December 18, 2023, the Superior Court of Québec rendered a judgment approving the settlement agreement and class counsel’s fees.

How can I stay informed of the upcoming steps in the case?

If you are a member of the class action, we invite you to register to our mailing list. This way, we can communicate with you as soon as important developments occur in the file.

For more information, you can also contact Belleau Lapointe directly.

Pleadings and judgments

Chronology