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Risk management lessons from the governor general’s resignation

January 26, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

If a commercial client has any inklings of a toxic workplace, an independent investigation is one way of managing reputational and liability risk, an expert says. The resignations last week of Governor General Julie Payette and her secretary may have

News ClaimsEarnings / RatingsInsurance

What the recovery from commercial hard market could look like

January 26, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Brokers could see a “K-shaped” recovery from the hard market in commercial lines because some sectors have been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than others, panelists observed in a webinar hosted Jan. 25 by Canadian Underwriter. Some commercial lines

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Six reasons why commercial prices will probably continue rising

January 25, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Don’t expect a soft market for your commercial clients any time soon, executives with The Travelers Companies Inc. warn. Rates on renewal for business insurance were up 8.4% while rates in bond and specialty insurance increased by 12%, Travelers said

News AdjustersClaimsClaims CanadaCommercial LinesLegalRisk

This new type of class-action tort grew from genetically modified corn seed

January 22, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

A proposed class-action lawsuit based on the novel tort of “premature commercialization” is going ahead in Ontario. The Supreme Court of Canada announced Dec. 10 it will not hear an appeal from Syngenta Canada Inc., which is facing a proposed

News ClaimsClaims CanadaInsuranceLegal

How British Supreme Court COVID business interruption ruling could be imported into Canada

January 22, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

A landmark British court ruling against insurers over business interruption coverage could be good news for restaurants or retailers who had to severely limit their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled largely in

News AdjustersClaims CanadaInsuranceLegal

Why this small claims tribunal changed an auto insurer’s liability finding

January 21, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

A British Columbia driver who was found 50% at fault for a collision by the province’s monopoly auto insurer has partly won a small claim against the other driver. Hartmut Wolfram and Yunsun Kim collided with one another in Burnaby

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This kind of homeowner’s liability claim has real teeth

January 21, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

When a dog bites man, the wounds could be deep and wide for homeowners. “Pet bites top the list for home insurance liability claims,” reports Dorchester Insurance Brokers Ltd., based near London in the community of Dorchester, Ont. “Dog bites

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What can go wrong when do-it-yourself clients try to replace home water heaters

January 19, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Some homeowner clients could get in trouble if they try to replace water heaters themselves, by following do-it-yourself handyman advice they find somewhere on the Internet. Many home insurance policies specifically require that water heater installation be done by a

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How social media can be a cyber attack vector

January 15, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting workers through applications such as LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, McAfee LLC warned in a report released Wednesday. Traditionally, cyber criminals have relied heavily on phishing as a way to target individual employees, McAfee chief

News AdjustersClaimsCommercial LinesInsuranceLegal

When the appraisal umpire goes beyond the depreciation rate of both the claimant and the insurer

January 15, 2021 by David Gambrill

In a $1.2-million dispute arising from a property resort fire, an Ontario appraisal umpire did not exceed his authority when he used a much higher depreciation rate than both the claimant and the insurer did to calculate the value of

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How ‘take-home COVID’ can impact employers’ liability

January 13, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

COVID-19 can cause a commercial general liability claim if a commercial client is sued by the family member of a worker who has caught the disease at work and then infected family members, insurance law experts suggest. “Take-home COVID” is

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How COVID-19 vaccine side effects impact liability risk

January 12, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Some people could suffer side effects from a COVID-19 immunization, but the vaccine manufacturers have a number of protections that minimize their liability risk, Canadian lawyers suggest. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was quoted last week by The Canadian Press as