Topic
Engineering
Why this homeowner lost legal battle with neighbour over basement water problem
October 8, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA Toronto homeowner who experienced basement water infiltration has lost his bid to sue the neighbours uphill from him for more than $83,000. In 2014, Chester Dawes bought his home, between the Humber River and High Park, in what used…
Trial by Fire
October 6, 2019 Glenn Gibson, Joe Toscano & David E. BridgesWhat to think about when selecting the right expert for fire and explosion cases
RSA Canada CEO outlines the biggest game-changers in engineering insurance
October 3, 2019 by Greg MeckbachSensors that gather data and feed it into computer systems could change the way engineering risks are assessed and underwritten by insurers, suggests Martin Thompson, president and CEO of RSA Canada. “We are going data crazy,” Thompson said Thursday while…
SPECS acquired by New York consulting firm
September 17, 2019 by Greg MeckbachSpecialized Property Evaluation Control Services, better known as SPECS, has been acquired by J.S. Held LLC, an American consulting firm, the companies announced Tuesday. SPECS, based in Langley, B.C., does property damage assessments, restoration consulting, construction project administration, risk management,…
How an engineer failed to spot a major basement water problem
September 3, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThree months after Edward Kent and Teresa Tomsky bought their Edmonton home, they noticed a musty smell in their basement. It turns out a foundation crack, which they were led to believe was minor, was actually quite serious. The foundation…
Simple ways to keep a roof on during a tornado
August 13, 2019 by Jason ContantThe Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and home building company Doug Tarry Homes Ltd. have joined forces for a pilot project on increasing the resilience of homes to high wind and tornado events. High winds contributed in part to…
The new trend for handling disputed property claims
June 24, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWhat happens when your client’s property is damaged and the insurer disagrees with the claimant on how much work is needed to restore it? Some of these claims disputes can result in lawsuits, when the claimant brings the insurer to…
$107-million Saskatchewan oil leak results in guilty plea
June 12, 2019 Colette Derworiz - THE CANADIAN PRESSLLOYDMINSTER, Sask. – Husky Energy has pleaded guilty in a pipeline leak that sent oil spilling into a major river and fouled the source of drinking water for thousands of people. The spill into the North Saskatchewan River in July…
How kitty litter can impact insured property losses
May 8, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWhile spring rains and thawing have caused overland flooding of Biblical proportions, drain backups are also the bane of some insurers’ existence. In multi-storey commercial and residential buildings, drain backups are the number one cause of damage, said Adam Bartman,…
This Supreme Court ruling could drive environmental insurance sales
March 19, 2019 by Greg MeckbachBrokers could see more demand for environmental liability insurance because of a recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling in favour of the Alberta Energy Regulator, a Toronto underwriter suggests. In Orphan Well Association v. Grant Thornton Ltd., the Supreme Court…
Why leaking sewers are contributing to higher flood risk
February 11, 2019 by Jason ContantBrand new storm and sanitary sewers are leaking water at an unacceptable rate, putting individual homes at higher risk of flooding, a civil engineer said last week at the CatIQ Connect conference in Toronto. “We have allowable leakage, a little…
Experts call for federal investigation of fatal bus crash
January 14, 2019 Alanna Rizza THE CANADIAN PRESSExperts are calling on the federal transportation safety board to investigate a deadly bus crash in Ottawa to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. Ahmed Shalaby, a civil engineering professor at the University of Manitoba, said the Transportation Safety Board…