Topic Claims Canada Archive
Ontario budget highlights property flood risk
March 25, 2021 by Greg MeckbachInsurers are applauding the Ontario government for its commitment to improve flood mapping and to provide more money for municipal water infrastructure, measures that the industry hopes will reduce the risk of water damage to insured properties. In a press…
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…
What to tell clients when home insurer asks if property was previously a grow-op
March 18, 2021 by Greg MeckbachHome insurance clients who move to a new property should have the premises inspected and let the insurer know if there are signs it has been used to grow cannabis. “If a home was a former cannabis grow-op, likely pipes…
Why these B.C. strata owners didn’t have to pay the corporation’s $5,000 deductible
March 12, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA British Columbia strata unit owner is not liable for their strata corporation’s $5,000 deductible on a property claim arising from a fire, the province’s civil resolution tribunal has ruled. The strata unit is on the fifth floor of a…
Why home insurance was so profitable for Intact in 2020
March 11, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe hard market in home insurance is helping Canada’s largest P&C insurer make a healthy profit. But insurers need to maintain pricing discipline in personal property because weather catastrophe costs are increasing over time, suggests the chief financial officer at…
Home insurer goes after ventilation unit manufacturers in subrogated fire claim
March 10, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA subrogated claim arising from a Hamilton area home fire is raising the question of which equipment manufacturer, if any, is liable. In 2013, a fire caused extensive damage to the Ancaster, Ont., home of Mary Arlene and Rudolf Dosen.…
Intact’s take on UK business interruption test case
March 9, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA recent British court ruling on business interruption does not change the economics of Intact Financial Corp.’s agreement to acquire a large part of London-based RSA, a senior Intact official confirmed Tuesday. In 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority brought eight…
Why dirt bike accident victim can get Ontario auto accident benefits
March 6, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAn Ontario claimant who suffered a severely disabling injury after falling off his dirt bike during a competition is entitled to accident benefits under his auto policy. This is the result of Beaudin v. Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, released…
Advice from the U.S.: Canada needs exit strategy from national flood
March 4, 2021 by Greg MeckbachCanada needs to proceed with caution if it wants to establish a taxpayer-supported program to write flood insurance for high-risk homes, an American speaker warned the Canadian P&C industry during CatIQ Connect. “Be very careful with a federal flood insurance…
Aviva reacts to new Ontario towing restrictions
March 3, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAviva Canada is supporting new provincial towing restrictions on some Toronto area provincial expressways. On some sections of road, a single towing company will be contracted to remove private passenger vehicles that need to be towed, the Ontario government announced…
Why reinsurers are watching how UK top court defined ‘occurrence’ in business interruption dispute
March 2, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe British Supreme Court’s interpretation of the word “occurrence,” in its recent COVID-19 business interruption ruling, should not be applied to reinsurance excess of loss treaties, Guy Carpenter experts argue in a recent paper. In a decision released on Jan.…
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…