How the industry is tackling insurance fraud
April 12, 2019 by Jason ContantInsurers need to work with regulators and other carriers to help fight the growing problem of insurance fraud, industry professionals say. Industry statistics show that insurance fraud costs $1.6 billion each year in Ontario alone. “As government reflects on the…
Do your cyber clients have buyer’s remorse?
April 11, 2019 by Jason ContantAre you spending a lot of time dealing with “coverage leakage” and buyer’s remorse as it relates to cyber insurance? For smaller claims in particular, some clients may not have a cyber policy, but may try to recover out-of-pocket costs…
How this dry cleaner got sued over 50-year-old pollution
April 11, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAn Ottawa dry cleaner is liable for nearly $2 million in environmental clean-up costs resulting from spills that occurred at least 45 years ago, as a result of a Supreme Court of Canada ruling released Thursday. The top court’s ruling…
B.C. Wildfire Service monitoring grass fire near Pemberton
April 11, 2019 by Greg MeckbachPEMBERTON, B.C. – Residents of the Lil’wat First Nation just east of Pemberton, B.C., are closely watching a grass and brush fire that broke out late Tuesday afternoon. The First Nation set up an emergency operations centre and warned residents…
How Intact and Economical won this pollution coverage dispute
April 10, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA court ruling against Economical and Intact over pollution exclusions in commercial general liability policies has been reversed. As a result, the insurers do not have to defend a Vancouver area dry cleaner against a lawsuit filed by its neighbours…
More than 100,000 Quebeckers without power after wind, freezing rain
April 10, 2019 by THE CANADIAN PRESSMONTREAL – Premier Francois Legault says the large majority of the more than 100,000 Quebec homes still without power after Monday’s ice storm will have electricity restored by Wednesday night. Speaking to reporters in Quebec City, Legault thanked Hydro-Quebec crews,…
How Aviva is simplifying its claims process
April 10, 2019 by Jason ContantAviva Canada has worked with provincial regulators to simplify its products and the claims process for customers. “We’ve done that specifically for [accident benefits], where we got a lot of feedback from customers that the forms were confusing, they didn’t…
The liability risk from climate change
April 9, 2019 by Greg MeckbachLarge companies face liability risk if they emit greenhouse gas emissions, and shareholders are asking directors and officers what they are doing about climate-related risks, a speaker suggested at a recent insurance conference in Toronto. Panelists at the Property and…
Insurers object to characterization of Ontario auto as “profitable”
April 9, 2019 by David GambrillCanada’s home, auto and business insurers are objecting to a recent characterization of Ontario’s auto insurance regime as “profitable.” “The current trends are unsustainable for both drivers and insurance companies,” Insurance Bureau of Canada vice president of Ontario Kim Donaldson…
Two winter storms, one $70-million claims bill for insurers
April 9, 2019 by David GambrillThe busy catastrophe season in Canada thus far is continuing with no signs of slowing down. Two severe weather storms in Ontario this year, one in February and one in March, cost insurers more than $70 million in insured damage,…
Does a business have to highlight a waiver of liability to a client?
April 4, 2019 by David GambrillA flood in an Alberta community centre flood has once again raised the legal issue of whether a claimant is obligated to read a commercial services contract thoroughly, or whether the defendant is obligated to highlight any waiver of liability…
CU Total Loss Series: How to reduce auto total loss cycle times by a week
April 3, 2019 by David GambrillMeet Jane Doe, a total loss survivor. The front end of her car was demolished when she tried to turn left at a busy intersection. She was hit by a driver who was talking on his cell phone while running…
