Topic Loss Trends
Is it time for a larger insolvency fund for Canadian P&C insurers?
September 28, 2021 by Jason ContantCanada’s Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC) is considering whether it needs to increase the size of its compensation fund in the event of a P&C insurer failure. PACICC’s board has asked management to complete a formal review of…
Okanagan Lake area wildfire could cost the industry nearly $80 million
September 24, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAn interior British Columbia wildfire this past August, which forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 properties, will cost the industry an estimated $77 million, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said Thursday. The White Rock Lake fire began on Aug.…
COVID shutdown not a ‘physical loss,’ insurance lawyer says
September 23, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA recent Court of Appeal for Ontario ruling, in favour of commercial property insurer FM Global, could be good news for insurers facing pandemic business interruption claims but the decision may also be reviewed by the Supreme Court of Canada,…
Insurance Bureau reacts to federal election results
September 22, 2021 by Greg MeckbachCanada’s new government needs to focus on climate adaptation, says the industry’s association of property and casualty insurers. “After an unprecedented year of heat and wildfires across much of Canada, climate adaptation must receive more attention in the coming months…
Why the hard market could be unsustainable
September 21, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe Canadian industry’s combined ratio, at 81% so far in 2021, is at a historic low but this is mainly due to a 23% drop in claims and adjustment expenses, from $20.26 billion in the first six months of 2020,…
Where auto insurers are seeing the biggest profitability improvements
September 17, 2021 by Greg MeckbachCanadian auto insurers saw both an increase in auto premiums and an improvement in their loss ratios in 2020, according to research from A.M. Best Company Inc. “Less miles driven translates into less frequency in auto losses,” A.M. Best director…
Business interruption class action against Aviva Canada now fully certified in Ontario
September 17, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAn Ontario manufacturer shuts down its factory for several weeks in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Factory managers re-configure the facility to allow workers to socially distance. Can that manufacturer get business insurance coverage if its policy wording…
Why Intact CEO predicts more rate increases for homeowners
September 16, 2021 by Greg MeckbachDespite a significant industry-wide drop, over three years, in home insurance loss ratios, the CEO of Canada’s biggest carrier is predicting rate increases. “In home insurance, our perspective is that we will see a mid- to upper-single-digit rate increase environment,”…
Why A.M. Best says the Canadian industry profitability is improving
September 15, 2021 by Greg MeckbachDespite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and increasing cost of weather catastrophes, the industry-wide combined ratio still improved 3.7 points last year and the pandemic is part of the reason, A.M. Best Company Inc. suggested in a report released Wednesday. The…
Combined ratio drops 18.2 points in the Lloyd’s market
September 14, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe Lloyd’s market has returned to profitability. The Corporation of Lloyd’s has reported a 2.1-point improvement in its attritional loss ratio, from 52.6% in during the first six months of 2020 to 50.5% in the first half of this year.…
Will Hurricane Larry meet the cat threshold?
September 14, 2021 by Greg MeckbachLosses to Canadian clients, from Hurricane Larry, seem to be comprised mainly of wind damage to residential property on Newfoundland Avalon’s peninsula, according to reports from adjusters so far. Hurricane Larry, which originated in the North Atlantic Ocean, passed by…
Appeal court quashes ruling that ‘resulting physical damage’ can mean ‘loss of use’
September 13, 2021 by Greg MeckbachYour commercial client could get business interruption coverage if they can no longer “use” their property, but only if the policy wording actually says so, a Court of Appeal for Ontario panel suggests. MDS Inc. v. Factory Mutual Insurance Company,…