Canadian Underwriter

Topic Claims

Lithium ion batteries in laptops, cell phones, e-scooters and other devices create fire risk at disposal sites
News ClaimsCommercialEmerging RisksInsurersLiabilityLoss ControlPropertyRisk ManagersTechnology

How lithium-ion batteries threaten recycling facilities

April 3, 2024 by Philip Porado

Introduction of lithium-ion batteries has introduced new hazards into the everyday lives of Canadians due to their ability to catch fire spontaneously – a phenomenon known as ‘thermal runaway.’ What began as concerns about fires started by cell phone and

Carbon tax protesters on the Trans Canada highway near Cochrane, Alta.
News AlbertaCommercial AutoEnvironmentalPersonal AutoSupply Chain

Police investigate multi-tractor crash as carbon-levy protests continue in Alberta

April 3, 2024 by The Canadian Press

Mounties in Alberta say they’re keeping traffic moving on the Trans-Canada Highway despite a roadside carbon-levy protest, and say five large farm tractors have already caused a multi-vehicle crash. Protesters slowed traffic on the Trans-Canada just west of Calgary on

Red sign hanging at the glass door of a shop saying: "Going out of business"
News BrokersClaimsCommercialEmerging RisksInsurersOperations

Canadian businesses are at risk of insolvency — here’s how insurance factors in

April 2, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatino

In Canada, corporate insolvencies have noticeably increased year over year, but brokers can step in to assist their clients with cash flow management and risk mitigation solutions, one expert shares.  Insolvencies, defined as a business’s inability to abide by their

Fencing put up during the trucker convoy protest in Ottawa, Canada
News ClaimsCommercialOntarioProperty

3 ways Canadian insurers can prepare for political risk

April 2, 2024 by David Gambrill

Canada is not immune to social divisions resulting in damage caused by political protests, and insurance companies can do three things to prepare for political risk, says a new report published by the Insurance Institute of Canada. First, insurance companies

Driving on a beautiful spring day.
News AdjustersAlbertaB.C.BrokersClaimsLicensingPersonal Auto

Regulators suspend broker over fraudulent auto claim

March 28, 2024 by David Gambrill

A former Alberta broker who was suspended for a year last July for submitting a fraudulent auto insurance claim has had her B.C. licence suspended for a year, starting March 2024. B.C.’s insurance council said it was revoking her licence

Toronto Police talking about vehicle theft investigation, Project Paranoid
News ClaimsClaims Canada ArchiveLegalLoss ControlLoss TrendsOntarioPersonal AutoSupply Chain

Toronto police recover stolen vehicles amid ongoing rise in auto theft

March 28, 2024 by Maan Alhmidi – The Canadian Press

Toronto police announced the recovery of 48 stolen vehicles and the arrests of seven people Wednesday as they detailed their latest attempt to crack down on the growing issue of auto theft in the region. Investigators said information gathered during

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 27, 2024
News ClaimsClaims Canada ArchiveLiabilitySupply Chain

Canadian bridges are safe, officials say, after U.S. bridge rammed by ship collapses 

March 27, 2024 by Jacob Serebrin – The Canadian Press

Canadian authorities tried to reassure the public about the safety of bridges in the country following the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, Md., early Tuesday morning after it was rammed by a container ship.  Halifax Harbour Bridges, which operates

Car keys laying on top of an auto insurance policy
News ClaimsClaims Canada ArchiveInsurersLoss ControlLoss TrendsOntarioPersonal Auto

What the P&C industry thinks of Ontario’s 2024 budget

March 27, 2024 by Jason Contant

Proposed reforms to Ontario auto insurance will make life simpler for accident victims but could increase premiums and costs for insurers, says David Marshall, who’s served as senior advisor to the provincial government on auto insurance and pension funds.  In

Top view of six cyber employees using laptops at a company
News BrokersClaimsCommercialCyberEmerging RisksInsurersOperations

How to keep cyber criminals from capitalizing on company culture

March 26, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Humans continue to be the weakest links when it comes to corporate cyber security, but companies looking to reduce phishing or ransomware attempts must first address their company culture, one expert tells Canadian Underwriter.   Over the past two to

Total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017
News ClaimsClaims Canada ArchiveLoss ControlPersonal Auto

How the total solar eclipse could affect auto claims

March 26, 2024 by Jason Contant

With a total solar eclipse set to pass over parts of Canada in less than two weeks, researchers at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Research Institute are warning about a possible surge in traffic fatalities. The rare celestial event will unfold over Canada,

Cybersecurity concept
News ClaimsClaims Canada ArchiveCommercialCyberTechnology

Giant Tiger customer data compromised in incident with third-party vendor

March 26, 2024 by Tara Deschamps – The Canadian Press

Giant Tiger Stores Ltd. says contact information for some of its customers was compromised in an “incident” linked to a third-party vendor it uses. Alison Scarlett, a spokesperson for the Ottawa-based discount retailer, would not name the vendor on Monday

Person reporting a stolen vehicle
News ClaimsClaims Canada ArchiveClaims ProfessionalsInsurersLegalLoss ControlLoss TrendsSaskatchewan

Insurer’s Top 5 insurance fraud claims of 2023

March 25, 2024 by Jason Contant

An intoxicated driver who reported her car stolen to avoid the consequences of impaired driving and fake invoices for high-end jewellery reportedly stolen from a vehicle were among Saskatchewan Government Insurance’s (SGI) Top 5 insurance fraud claims of 2023.  The