Topic Loss Trends
How solvency risk has changed since the days of the eight-track tape
October 23, 2020 by Greg MeckbachWhen Bob Tisdale started his career about 40 years ago, insurers were more likely to get into financial trouble. “When I first started in this industry in the early days, I was doing commercial underwriting and there were a lot…
Why reinsurers are now ‘hesitant’ to support some Canadian insurers
October 22, 2020 by Greg MeckbachOne lesson from the economic disruption from COVID-19 is the importance of telling clients exactly what risks are and are not covered, an Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario panelist suggested Thursday. “Business interruption class action litigation does not attract capital…
How auto insurers are promoting National Teen Driver Safety Week
October 20, 2020 by Greg MeckbachTeenagers are 3.1 times more likely to follow too closely than drivers older than 45, Manitoba’s auto insurer is warning. Teens are also 3.6 times more likely to lose control or drive off the road than drivers aged 45 and…
If you thought cyber was hard to sell before…
October 20, 2020 by Adam MalikCyber claims have skyrocketed recently thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the relatively young class of business has entered a hard market, meaning that an already-tough-to-sell insurance product may become an even harder sell, according to an expert in the…
How a smart phone can drive efficiency in the claims process
October 19, 2020 by Greg MeckbachUsing a smart phone to take pictures of property damage as soon as it happens could speed up the claims process and reduce fraud risk, the head of a Canadian claims technology vendor suggests. “The best way to drive efficiency…
How COVID-19 has changed cyber underwriting
October 19, 2020 by Greg MeckbachWith loss ratios in the Canadian cyber insurance market skyrocketing, purchasing cyber without having to answer a whole bunch of questions may become a thing of the past. In the recent past, if a client was not very large, or…
Watch for governments to transfer financial risk from natural disasters to insurers: Swiss Re
October 16, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThere is growing awareness that governments can transfer the financial risk of natural disasters to both insurance and capital markets, a Swiss Re expert observes. In Asia, Africa, the United States and Britain, there are examples of national and sub-national…
Why this client can only recover $50,000 on a $2.7-million commercial crime claim
October 16, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAn electronics distributor that lost nearly $2.7-million because its accounts payable staff were duped by fraudsters cannot claim under policy wording covering funds transfer fraud, a Quebec court has ruled. In Future Electronics Inc. (Distribution) Pte Ltd. v. Chubb Insurance…
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…
What Gore Mutual advises about winter tires
October 6, 2020 by Greg MeckbachOntario auto clients should start thinking soon about their seasonal tire change, an executive with Gore Mutual suggests. “As we get further into fall and temperatures begin to drop below seven degrees Celsius, motorists should definitely begin thinking about changing…