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Condo flooding liability 101

April 18, 2019 by David Gambrill

You are the owner of a condo unit. The toilet in the condo unit above you overflows, causing water damage to your ceiling and floor. No, your upstairs neighbour does not have to reimburse you for your $1,000 insurance policy

News AdjustersCatastrophesClaims

Uber-style platform for expediting appraisals now in Canada

April 16, 2019 by David Gambrill

An Uber-style platform to expedite home and auto claims appraisals has made its way into Canada. Offered by WeGoLook, the online and mobile sharing-economy platform provides personalized, onsite data capture for inspections and low-complexity services across the United States. Now

News AdjustersBrokersCatastrophesClaims

How brokers can stop a flooded basement

April 16, 2019 by David Gambrill

A recent study suggests brokers have a golden opportunity to talk to homeowners one-on-one about how to protect homes from basement floods. With the right information and often for less than $500, homeowners can protect themselves from the increasing risks

News AdjustersCatastrophesClaims

More than 100,000 Quebeckers without power after wind, freezing rain

April 10, 2019 by THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL – 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,

News AdjustersClaimsTechnology

How to save insurers $1.3 billion a year on claims administration

March 4, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Artificial intelligence will become a “big time saver” for claims adjusters and will eventually allow the industry to save billions a year in costs, one researcher says. For auto claims, insurers are already using AI to make recommendations on whether

News AdjustersClaims

The advantage of recruiting non-insurance workers as claims professionals

February 26, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

For independent adjusters, the need to replace retiring workers is becoming more urgent. “A number of our front-line adjusters are very senior, very talented and experienced,” said Paul Féron senior vice president for Ontario and Manitoba at ClaimsPro LP. “In

News AdjustersClaims

Ontario’s latest wind storm: is it as costly as last year’s wind cat?

February 25, 2019 by Jason Contant

The strong wind storm that continues across parts of Ontario Monday is being compared to the costliest insured loss event of 2018. Beginning on Sunday, Feb. 24, a powerful, sustained wind storm caused blizzard conditions and damaging winds across Ontario.

News AdjustersClaimsLegal

Are cannabis edibles a “drug”? What adjusters should be asking

February 22, 2019 by Jason Contant

Claims adjusters’ questions should address potential policy wording dilemmas related to the upcoming legalization of cannabis edibles later this year, a lawyer told Canadian Underwriter recently. For example, consider the following question in the context of edible cannabis (or even

News AdjustersClaimsLegal

The type of claims that may arise from legalization of cannabis edibles

February 14, 2019 by Jason Contant

With the upcoming legalization of edibles containing cannabis this October, Canadian claims adjusters may see more indirect injury loss and damage claims, suggests a lawyer with Field Law in Calgary. Compared to regular smoked marijuana, edibles have a more delayed

News AdjustersClaimsTechnology

Why the human touch is sometimes bad for claims

January 30, 2019 by Jason Contant

The claims industry in Canada has to be wary about complicating the claims process by putting a “human process” in place where one is not needed, speakers said last week at the Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association’s 2019 Claims Conference in

News AdjustersBrokersCatastrophesClaimsConstructionRisk Managers

Online basement flood course coming soon

January 30, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

An online version of the Home Flood Risk Assessment Training will be available Canada-wide this March, Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, said in a recent interview. The course is geared towards insurance brokers, home inspectors,

News AdjustersClaimsClaims TechnologyTechnology

What adjusters can learn from technology disruptors

January 29, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Adjusters who want to improve service for claimants could take a few pointers from companies outside the insurance industry. “When I look at customers today, their entire experience of how they want to be dealt with has been shaped outside