Topic Claims Canada Archive
Crawford exec John Sharoun reflects on his 49-year-long insurance journey
May 18, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAfter a 49-year-long tenure in the insurance industry, John Sharoun, executive general adjuster and senior consultant at Crawford and Company Canada, is retiring on June 30, 2022. Sharoun fell into the industry between finishing school and looking for a…
Don’t investigate fraud suspicions indefinitely, court tells insurer
May 6, 2022 by David GambrillIf an insurer suspects fraud in a house fire contents claim, it might be better to deny the claim within 60 days, alleging fraud, rather than to prolong the claims investigation indefinitely while asking for documentation from the insured that…
Insurance investigators: Be on guard when sharing info with police
May 5, 2022 by David GambrillInsurance investigators need to be on their guard about sharing information with police, lest they breach their duty of good faith to their insureds, note lawyers for Borden Ladner Gervais, referencing a 2021 Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench decision. The…
What disco-era stagflation means for insurers’ bottom lines
May 5, 2022 by Philip PoradoTight supply chains are taking a bite out of GDP numbers, stagnating economies across the globe while simultaneously pushing up prices. For anyone whose memories don’t stretch back to the 1970s, the counterintuitive combination of a stagnating economy and rising…
How telematics is a game-changer for claims
May 2, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatinoTelematics, which allows insurance companies to measure client driving behaviour, has largely been used by carriers in the underwriting process, but it may prove to be equally as useful for claims, says one telematics provider. Claims telematics can be used…
The case for tracking your risk advice
January 19, 2022 by David GambrillThe City of Revelstoke, B.C., has been found 35% contributorily negligent for not adhering to a recommendation contained in a 2011 risk management audit, which advised to maintain painted ‘No diving’ signs on a raft in Williamson Lake Park. “The…
Excess of loss case should be heard in Canada, not New York: court
January 10, 2022 by David GambrillSeveral excess insurers have lost their bid to have a lawsuit take place in New York instead of Ontario in a mining insurance case brought before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Nine of 22 excess insurers argued that the…
Appeal Court overturns $350K bad faith award against public insurer
January 5, 2022 by David GambrillManitoba’s Court of Appeal has overturned a $348,000 damage award against the province’s auto insurer, finding that the insurer did in fact act in good faith towards a person injured in a collision involving an uninsured auto. In making its…
Lawsuit arising from 1982 vehicle accident dismissed in 2021
December 20, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA negligence lawsuit against a plaintiff’s lawyer by an Ontario claimant who was injured in a 1982 motor vehicle accident has been thrown out of court. The claimant settled his accident benefits and tort claims in 1999, when he was…
Strata owner not liable for common-area water damage
December 14, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA strata corporation can’t recover $25,000 towards water damage repairs originating from a unit owner’s broken toilet water supply line, the British Columba civil resolution tribunal has ruled. On June 23, 2019, water leaked out of a strata lot. The…
Supreme Court mulls municipal liability in construction site death
December 13, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe Supreme Court of Canada will consider the question of what risk a municipality has when someone is killed or injured on a construction site when a contractor is involved. Specifically, the top court announced Dec. 9 it will hear…
Why pollution liability brokers should pay attention to this auditor general report
December 9, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe Ontario government should re-visit a rule that leaves polluters off the hook for hazardous spills that cost less than $10,000 to clean up, the province’s auditor general suggests. In 2016, the Ontario environment ministry [now called the Ministry of…