Topic Claims
A business refuses to enforce public health regulations. Is it liable?
October 13, 2020 by Greg MeckbachCommercial clients who fail to follow local health regulations could be considered a “moral hazard” to insurers, but liability claims under such circumstances during the COVID pandemic will not necessarily be denied, a Toronto commercial broker suggests. Commercial general liability…
Learning from the mistakes of pandemic coverage
October 9, 2020 by Adam MalikThere are lessons to be learned from the current COVID-19 pandemic about how to protect clients against future pandemic losses, senior industry executives say. The Wimbledon Championships’ pandemic coverage, for example, was generally hailed as a success. The famed tennis…
Can it happen here? Political violence as a risk in Canada
October 8, 2020 by Adam MalikCanada isn’t known for political violence compared to other parts of the world, but it’s a growing trend that has at least one insurer keeping its eye on developments. This year has seen an increase in political demonstrations in both…
Appeal court spells out difference between an ‘omission’ and a ‘misrepresentation’ on an insurance form
October 8, 2020 by David GambrillB.C.’s Court of Appeal overturned a decision Wednesday against BCAA Insurance Corporation in a case that turned on the crucial difference between an “omission” and a “misrepresentation” in a home insurance application. Ultimately, the B.C. Court of Appeal ordered a…
How COVID-19 can trigger a ‘force majeure’ or ‘act of God’ clause in a contract
October 7, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe COVID-19 pandemic could be considered an “act of God,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean a client can recoup a deposit for cancelling a large gathering, a recent British Columbia Civil Resolution Tribunal ruling suggests. While most property and casualty…
House fire in small Newfoundland town spreads to other buildings
October 7, 2020 by The Canadian PressHEATHERTON, N.L. – A number of buildings are on fire in the small town of Heatherton, N.L. Muriel Brown works at the local Home Hardware store and says all she sees is smoke and flames when she steps out of…
Product safety: Good for consumers but costly for insurers
October 6, 2020 by Adam MalikThe good news is that Canada has stringent rules around food and consumer products, which makes it no surprise that there can be many recalls. The flip side, however, is that insuring for recalls is taking its toll on the…
Insurers, collision repairers tout benefits of proposed mandatory certification
October 5, 2020 by Adam MalikA push to require Ontario collision repair shops to meet minimum standards when repairing vehicles is expected to even out the playing field, make the claims process run more smoothly, help client satisfaction, make roads safer, and potentially bring down…
Appeal court dismisses lawsuit against Economical over additional insured endorsement
October 5, 2020 by Greg MeckbachA solar energy developer has lost its appeal against Economical in a commercial coverage dispute regarding an additional insured, in which the policy wording referred to “liability arising out of the operations” of the insured. “Contractual insurance obligations and additional…
Doubling down on specialty
October 2, 2020 by Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorBernard McNulty, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty’s new chief agent for Canada, explains the impact of the pandemic and what changes may be in store
Intact’s plan to help you advise your client on disaster resilience
October 2, 2020 by Greg MeckbachBy the end of this year, Intact Financial Corp. is hoping that a research centre it funds will have trained more than 140,000 brokers, home inspectors, realtors, and other professionals on how to make properties resilient to extreme weather, CEO…
Watch out for litigation funding in Canada, industry execs warn
October 2, 2020 by Adam MalikA leader in the Canadian P&C industry is sounding the alarm about the rise of litigation funding in Canada. Litigation funding is an arrangement in which a third-party company — not the plaintiff’s law firm — agrees to fund all…