Topic
Legal
Hot coffee scalds your client in a drive-through. Is that an auto “accident”?
February 23, 2018 by Greg MeckbachOntario auto insurance policies will have to cover a much wider scope of risk if the Supreme Court of Canada does not overturn a recent court ruling against Aviva Canada, Aviva’s lawyer argues. In Dittmann v. Aviva Insurance Company of Canada,…
Court closes door on homeowner plan to build a basement walkout below a flood line
February 22, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorA Grande Prairie, Alta.-area property owner who installed a basement door below the one-in-100-year flood line should replace it with a window above the flood line, the Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled, upholding efforts by the municipality to stop…
Airbnb rentals being used for alleged human trafficking: Toronto police
February 22, 2018 Michelle McQuigge - THE CANADIAN PRESSToronto police say a recent case of alleged human trafficking is the latest in a growing trend involving people using Airbnb rentals to conduct their illicit transactions. Det. Sgt. Nunzio Tramontozzi said police have seen a surge in such cases…
Ontario PC leadership hopeful slams Liberals for delaying auto fraud office
February 21, 2018 by Greg MeckbachOntario PC leadership candidate Caroline Mulroney promises to do “more than just talk” about cracking down on insurance fraud if she becomes premier of Ontario this June. Ontario Liberal Finance Minister Charles Sousa announced this past December the provincial government…
How Internet of Things will change product liability
February 19, 2018 by David GambrillProduct liability could look very different in the future once the Internet of Things (IoT) connects a variety of insured household and business products, Clyde and Co. litigator Prachi Shah told Canadian Underwriter Friday. In existing IoT literature, we hear…
Surety providers’ argument rejected by Supreme Court of Canada
February 19, 2018 by Greg MeckbachAn argument from a group of insurers and brokers – that construction contractors should not have a duty to inform subcontractors of the existence of a surety bond – has been rejected by the Supreme Court of Canada. In Valard…
Workplace harassment policies should include non-employees, risk manager says
February 14, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorManaging liability risk includes making workplaces free from harassment for not only employees, but also for non-employees, advises Darius Delon, an independent risk consultant based in Calgary. Lawsuits arising from harassment are one major emerging area of risk, said Delon,…
Dating danger? Businesses rethink workplace romance policies
February 14, 2018 Joyce M. Rosenberg - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSNEW YORK – It happens in so many workplaces – two colleagues begin a romantic relationship. But a heightened awareness about sexual harassment means small business owners can get more anxious when employees start dating. Many owners have consulted with…
Sexual harassment lawsuit? Why it pays for a risk manager to be a pack rat
February 13, 2018 by Greg MeckbachRisk managers who retain insurance policies for only seven or 10 years need to rethink this practice, an independent risk consultant warns. Having a copy of a 15- or 20-year-old liability insurance policy is “like owning a bank note in…
Courts flip-flop on Allstate employment case
February 12, 2018 by David GambrillAllstate Insurance Company of Canada was not entitled to change the terms of employment of one of its sales agents during a 24-month “working notice” period, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has ruled, reversing a lower court decision that…
Dispute erupts between Quebec and Ottawa over personal cultivation of pot plants
February 9, 2018 The Canadian PressQUEBEC – Ottawa’s plan to legalize marijuana is causing a rift with Quebec over how many plants are allowed to be grown at home. The federal government’s bill allows Canadians to cultivate up to four pot plants, while Quebec doesn’t…
When drone damage could trigger a home insurance claim
February 8, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorWhen consumers fly unmanned aerial vehicles as a hobby, will their home insurance policies cover them for any lawsuits arising from property damage or personal injury caused by the drones? For the most part, aircraft is excluded in the wording…