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Why liability insurance did not cover the defence of a remediation order

June 18, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

An eastern Ontario municipality does not have coverage with any of its four former liability insurers for a dispute with the provincial environment ministry over alleged pollution occurring more than six decades ago. That’s because the insurance policies in question

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Working from home increasingly popular among Canadian P&C professionals

June 18, 2021 by Adam Malik

More property and casualty insurance industry professionals are working from today than six months ago — and more are “very satisfied” to be doing so, according to a Canadian Underwriter poll conducted last week. Canadian Underwriter first asked the industry

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What’s the state of the cyber market these days?

June 17, 2021 by Adam Malik

A lack of scrutiny around the risk being taken on and a flawed claims process bit the cyber insurance market hard, especially over the last year, according to experts in the field. Now, they added, there are signs that insurers

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Two things you need to explain to your clients

June 16, 2021 by David Gambrill

Risk and insurance professionals need to address two common client misunderstandings about how the property and casualty insurance industry works, a risk professional suggested to Canadian Underwriter Tuesday. First, clients may not fully understand the interconnectedness of the P&C industry,

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A home under renovation isn’t necessarily “under construction:” Appeal Court

June 15, 2021 by David Gambrill

A home under renovation doesn’t mean it is “under construction,” Ontario’s Appeal Court has ruled, rejecting an insurer’s interpretation of its home insurance policy exclusion. In Tataryn v. Axa Insurance Canada (now Intact Insurance), Susan Tataryn’s Ottawa property served as

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Restoration firms beware: Did clients authorize payment for your work?

June 14, 2021 by David Gambrill

A recent flood damage claim in B.C. speaks to the importance of getting in writing from clients exactly what restoration services have been authorized for payment, be it a repair or a full investigation into the cause of the water

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Estimator’s COVID dilemma: Photos of auto damage not enough, in-person visit not allowed

June 11, 2021 by David Gambrill

It’s an auto insurance estimator’s Catch-22. A B.C. small claims tribunal recently downplayed expert evidence based on photos taken in an auto collision shop because the estimator didn’t conduct an in-person inspection of the vehicle — even though pandemic lockdown

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Where Canada sits with national low-cost residential flood insurance 

June 10, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Six possible flood insurance models for homes at high risk of flood are about to go through an actuarial review, a federal government official suggests. The Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation is going to hand off those possible

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Communicating with clients: Ditch the emojis! LOL

June 9, 2021 by Adam Malik

Ditch the emojis and shorthand — use proper language when communicating to clients in writing, an insurance executive urged during a recent webinar. Insurance professionals would be wise to make the extra effort to be clear to clients when communicating

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Forget data: The case for going with your gut instinct

June 8, 2021 by David Gambrill

Data analysis may be held up as the gold standard for making sound business decisions. But a recent study suggests gut instinct — when backed up by simple decision aids — may actually be better in situations of high uncertainty.

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In pollution claim, ‘sudden’ could mean several months, court finds

June 8, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Insurance coverage for a “sudden and accidental” release of diesel fuel can include a discharge that continued over several months, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has ruled in a commercial coverage dispute. As a result of Zurich Insurance Company

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How video conferencing misbehaviour creates commercial liability risk

June 1, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Inappropriate behaviour during video conferences can lead to employment practices liability claims, an expert with The Travelers Companies Inc. warns. New York City-based Travelers is observing “Zoom etiquette claims,” said the insurer’s employment practices liability product manager, Chris Williams, during