Topic
Legislation / Regulation
Mud + snow tires count as winter tires: Tribunal
September 28, 2020 by Greg MeckbachBritish Columbia’s civil resolution tribunal has ruled against a motorist who claims the car he rented did not have proper winter tires because they were marked “mud + snow,” but the motorist is not liable for alleged damage to the…
Feds urged to consider backstop for ‘tail risks’ such as pandemic, quake and flood
September 25, 2020 by David GambrillDiscussions around providing pandemic coverage in the future are highlighting the need to develop a Canadian federal government backstop for other serious “tail risk” events such as earthquakes, floods and wildfires, says the president of the Property and Casualty Insurance…
What happens in Alberta when auto insurers are not comfortable with their profitability
September 23, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe Alberta auto insurance industry is still suffering “hangover” from a 5% cap on rate increases that was abolished more than a year ago, with many insurers not looking for new business, suggests the co-founder of LowestRates.ca. Data released Tuesday…
How vehicle depreciation can create E&O risk
September 21, 2020 by Greg MeckbachPersonal auto insurance brokers who don’t offer an endorsement that would limit an insurer’s right to restrict its coverage to actual cash value could be increasing their errors and omissions risk, a senior broker has cautioned. Alberta and Ontario have…
Why Uber Canada dropped Intact as its insurance provider
September 16, 2020 by Greg MeckbachRide sharing firm Uber Canada chose Economical as its insurance provider because Uber would not agree to Intact’s pricing, a senior Intact executive said Tuesday. “We had a very good relationship, we just couldn’t agree on the price,” Intact CFO…
What’s driving D&O rate increases for privately-held firms
September 11, 2020 by Greg MeckbachLawsuits from employees alleging harassment or discrimination is one reason for significant price increases in directors’ and officers’ liability rates. In Canada, commercial brokerage Gallagher is seeing an uptick in age and gender discrimination claims and workplace harassment claims under…
How bad Canada’s auto loss ratios are getting
September 11, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe Canadian industry’s loss ratio in auto liability has deteriorated for the fourth year in a row, A.M. Best Company Inc. has reported. Meanwhile, the loss ratio in “auto personal accident” deteriorated nearly 10 points. It increased from 70.4% in…
Supreme Court of Canada paves way for insurers’ medical examiner’s lawsuit
September 10, 2020 by Greg MeckbachA $15-million defamation lawsuit by an insurers’ medical examiner against an Ontario-based personal injury lawyer is going to trial, the Supreme Court of Canada announced in a divided ruling released Thursday. Dr. Howard Platnick “deserves to have his day in…
Adjusting Calgary’s hailstorm: The rationale for bringing in U.S. Cat adjusters
August 28, 2020 by Greg MeckbachDuring the hail storm this past June that damaged tens of thousands of Alberta homes, adjusting firm CRU Group struggled to find enough qualified independent catastrophe adjusters in Canada, and wound up resorting to bringing in people from the United…
Flood repair: Why this condo owner had to pay strata fees for an uninhabitable unit
August 28, 2020 by Greg MeckbachA British Columbia resident who had to move out for nearly six months for flood restoration work still has to pay his monthly fees to the strata corporation, the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal has ruled. Ye Yuan said that from…
The pros and cons of juries in civil trials
August 24, 2020 by Greg MeckbachIf the Ontario government abolishes juries in civil trials, this would take away a basic protection for defendants in personal injury lawsuits, a defence lawyer suggests. “The solution is not to abolish juries in personal injury actions. The idea being…
Why this trial lawyer wants to ban civil jury trials
August 19, 2020 by Greg MeckbachMotor vehicle accident lawsuits in Ontario are often decided by juries, and one personal injury lawyer would like to change this. “I don’t see a valid cause as to why juries should be retained at all in civil trials,” said…