Topic
Commercial Lines
Where Canadians rank among their global peers in how much premium they pay
May 8, 2021 by David GambrillCanadians tend to pay higher premium for insurance than citizens in many, if not most, other developed nations, according to a recent report from the C.D. Howe Institute. Three years in the making, the report is authored by Alister Campbell,…
What MGA acquisitions bring to the table for Intact
April 30, 2021 by Greg MeckbachBy acquiring managing general agents, Intact Financial Corp. gets a new stream of revenue and an opportunity to grow its commercial specialty business, says the leader of Intact’s MGA operations. When Intact acquired The Guarantee Company of North America from…
Adjuster’s fine halved on appeal in a replacement cost dispute over a tractor
April 15, 2021 by David GambrillA Manitoba insurance adjuster has been fined for failing to carry out instructions from an insurer to inform a claimant about how to replace their tractor under the terms of the insurer’s Limited Waiver of Depreciation. The adjuster, Douglas Boyd…
Pandemic lockdowns make the case for pay-as-you-go commercial insurance
April 14, 2021 by David GambrillAuto insurance has introduced pay-as-you-go options for personal clients, but in the era of business shutdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it seems as though commercial lines could use a similar option as well. Brokers in a LinkedIn thread…
Why certain commercial sub-segments are facing pricing, capacity crunch
April 12, 2021 by Greg MeckbachToday’s hard market is different not only because of COVID-19 but also because insurers are more granular in their approach towards specific segments within the commercial market, experts suggested Monday during a Canadian Underwriter webinar. “In some industries [i.e. commercial…
Etiquette for asking if your employees are vaccinated
April 9, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAsking your workers whether or not they got their COVID-19 vaccine shot is not necessarily a good idea. “If you are going to require employees to disclose their vaccination status, you need to consider the nature of the workplace,” said…
The biggest property risks for green energy
March 29, 2021 by Greg MeckbachFloods, hail, fire, and lightning strikes are among the concerns for underwriters who insure green energy projects, an expert with RSA Canada says. And also, solar panel placement. Perhaps not many would link solar panel placement with flood risk, but…
Regulator approves lower deductibles for commercial vehicles — with a caveat
March 29, 2021 by David GambrillNova Scotia’s auto insurance regulator has approved Facility Association’s request to lower minimum deductibles for commercial vehicles, albeit with one significant caveat and a few “concerns.” The caveat has to do with logistics. For Facility Association’s member carriers, the upshot…
The rationale for Intact expanding its commercial appetite
March 26, 2021 by Greg MeckbachMid-sized commercial clients are going to get bigger, so executives with Canada’s largest property and casualty insurer want to continue their expansion in specialty lines. “We are really scaling up our specialty lines capability here in North America,” Intact Financial…
Plaintiff loses right to sue after slip-and-fall on a sanded sidewalk
March 23, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA recent Supreme Court of Canada decision means a slip-and-fall lawsuit against an Alberta school board is dismissed. Shortly before 9:00 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2013, Angelina Hannam slipped and fell on a sidewalk outside River Heights Elementary School in…
Co-operators has no duty to defend a “novel” data policy exclusion: Appeal court
March 19, 2021 by David GambrillThe Co-operators does not have a duty to defend a cyber liability case involving a “novel” policy exclusion for breached data being published over the internet, the Ontario Court for Appeal has ruled. Reversing the previous decision of a lower…
Why business interruption lawsuits against Aviva got ‘carved off’ from Ontario class action
February 23, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAviva Canada is facing two proposed class-action lawsuits in Ontario from clients whose business interruption claims were denied during the ongoing pandemic. Allegations that Aviva has breached insurance contracts by denying BI claims have not been proven in court. Nordik…