Topic
Claims
This kind of homeowner’s liability claim has real teeth
January 21, 2021 by Greg MeckbachWhen 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…
What can go wrong when do-it-yourself clients try to replace home water heaters
January 19, 2021 by Greg MeckbachSome 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…
How social media can be a cyber attack vector
January 15, 2021 by Greg MeckbachCyber 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…
When the appraisal umpire goes beyond the depreciation rate of both the claimant and the insurer
January 15, 2021 by David GambrillIn 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…
How ‘take-home COVID’ can impact employers’ liability
January 13, 2021 by Greg MeckbachCOVID-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…
How COVID-19 vaccine side effects impact liability risk
January 12, 2021 by Greg MeckbachSome 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…
Three ways of reducing your client’s risk of false slip-and-fall claims
January 11, 2021 by Greg MeckbachInstalling video systems, keeping an eye out for obstructions on the property and asking claimants for all names they have used in the past are among the techniques your clients can use to protect themselves from fraudulent slip-and-fall claims. Slip…
Regulator’s pilot project to start scenario-testing for climate change risks
January 7, 2021 by David GambrillCanada’s solvency regulator has introduced a pilot project in 2021 to conduct scenario testing of the impact of various climate-related risks on financial institutions’ bottom lines. “The first step of the pilot project is to develop a Canada-relevant set of…
Impeding, hindering or preventing: Do these mean the same thing in business interruption insurance?
January 6, 2021 by Greg MeckbachSay your client has a policy covering business interruption if the government prevents access to the premises. A pandemic breaks out. Say that client is not completely prohibited from conducting business, but is still losing sales because the government is…
Mystery solved: Phantom passenger loses accident benefits case
January 6, 2021 by David GambrillOntario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) has denied accident benefits to a claimant who said she had been injured in an auto collision, finding that the claimant could not prove she was actually in the car when the accident happened. Maxine…
How an insurer became embroiled in this body shop’s lawsuit against an auto dealer
January 6, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA collision repair centre is suing an auto dealership firm that stopped referring work to it amid unproven allegations that the body shop submitted false or fabricated invoices to Aviva Canada, recent Ontario court documents show. In 2013, a firm…
The difference between pandemic BI coverage and pushing a bus off a cliff
January 5, 2021 by Greg MeckbachCommercial clients who bought insurance covering a disease outbreak within 25 miles of their premises did not buy coverage for business interruption from a pandemic on a national scale, insurance company lawyers are telling the United Kingdom Supreme Court. Worldwide,…