Topic Commercial
Big Moves: New CEO at Guy Carpenter Canada
October 19, 2020 by Canadian Underwriter StaffPeter Askew succeeds Donald Callahan as president and CEO of the Canadian operations of Guy Carpenter, Marsh & McLennan’s reinsurance arm
Your list of business clients is at risk of shrinking: CPA Canada chief economist
October 16, 2020 by Adam MalikThe longer the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the longer businesses will struggle and the risk that they close their doors for good, an economist is warning, and that spells bad news for the insurance industry. Canada is navigating through a…
What Canada’s Supreme Court says about employers’ liability for bonuses
October 15, 2020 by Greg MeckbachA constructive dismissal award against a Halifax-based fish oil maker of nearly $1.1-million has been restored by the Supreme Court of Canada. When it comes to employment practices liability, a key lesson from Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., released…
Why parametric options should be on every broker’s radar
October 15, 2020 by Adam MalikAdvising clients of parametric options will allow brokers and insurers to enhance their value and open up opportunities to provide more options for risk transfer and solutions to coverage issues that couldn’t be solved under traditional measures, says an insurer…
2020 U.S. election: How a pandemic plan south of the border can help cure Canadian P&C insurers’ results
October 14, 2020 by Adam MalikAs the United States nears election day, Canadian P&C insurers and other financial analysts are trying to read the tea leaves for signs of a crisis mitigation strategy south of the border that would address the COVID-19 pandemic and its…
Why the court found the landlord responsible for this winter roof collapse
October 13, 2020 by Greg MeckbachA courier firm has successfully sued its landlord for $188,000 after the roof of its Halifax area warehouse collapsed under the weight of snow and ice. In Transport Canpar L.P. v. 3258042 Nova Scotia Limited, released Oct. 8, Justice Richard…
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…
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…
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…
What business interruption coverage appeal to U.K. Supreme Court could look like
October 6, 2020 by Greg MeckbachBritish insurers are not taking yes for an answer from the High Court of England and Wales, which recently ruled that insuring business interruption “following” a notifiable disease, within a certain distance of the client, does in fact mean that…
Fairfax welcomes back former Canadian governor general to its board
October 5, 2020 by Greg MeckbachFairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. announced Monday that former Governor General of Canada David Johnston is back on its board of directors. Johnston had to step down from the Fairfax board when he became Governor General of Canada in 2010, the…
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…