Topic Personal Auto
Why it’s hard to make telematics ‘commercially viable’ in Canada
August 13, 2020 by Greg MeckbachIf regulators continue to prohibit auto insurers from imposing surcharges when they detect risky driving behaviour through telematics, it will be difficult for usage-based insurance to be commercially viable, an Aviva Canada data science expert suggests. “Telematics is a good…
Why this home insurer has a duty to defend a road rage claim
August 11, 2020 by David GambrillPembridge Insurance Company of Canada has a duty to defend an insured who has liability coverage under a home insurance policy in a case in which the insured got out of his car and allegedly threatened another driver in a…
How COVID has changed Intact’s digital journey
August 6, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way Intact Financial Corp. offers digital services and some of these changes could be permanent. Since several provinces imposed lockdown measures in March after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Intact has…
Why regulation holds auto insurers back from using advanced modelling
August 4, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAuto insurers could potentially use artificial intelligence to improve risk segmentation but some of the newer modelling techniques may not be a good fit with the way rates are currently regulated, a data science expert for one insurer suggests. Ontario’s…
How high cat losses could go this year
August 4, 2020 by Adam MalikAlberta has become the epicentre for cat losses this year as combined insured damage could reach, if not exceed, $2 billion in the province alone after multiple natural catastrophes have hit various regions over a four-month span. The calculations come…
The Herculean task required to reduce liability claims involving autonomous vehicles
July 30, 2020 by Adam MalikAutonomous vehicles need their own space to operate, a report says, and auto executives agree that putting them on the same roads as human-driven cars in a mixed-use environment will only increase liability claims. “As autonomous technology develops and matures,…
Claimant learns the difference between “hit-and-run” and collision damage
July 28, 2020 by David GambrillA driver in B.C. is out $1,777 for incorrectly telling the public auto insurer that damage to his parked vehicle was the result of a “hit-and-run,” as opposed to collision damage. Jiameng Wang took Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)…
Why a tribunal changed the insurer’s finding of fault in this parking lot claim
July 24, 2020 by David GambrillB.C.’s small claims court recently overturned the public insurer’s assessment of liability in a case in which a driver pulling out of his parking lot space clipped the open door of a car that had just pulled into the space…
What road tests and bookings may look like during the pandemic
July 23, 2020 by David GambrillB.C.’s public insurer is starting to re-book road tests that were interrupted by the pandemic, prioritizing drivers whose Class 5 and 7 road tests were cancelled between Mar. 17 and June 26, 2020. The insurer is reaching out to Class…
Court dismisses class action against insurers for handling of HST in auto AB claims
July 17, 2020 by David GambrillOntario’s Superior Court has quashed a proposed class action lawsuit against 16 Ontario auto insurers — a dispute related to insurers deducting HST tax from accident benefits paid out to minor auto accident injury victims — because only the LAT…
How many claims the Calgary hail storm caused
July 16, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe industry is dealing with more than 70,000 claims arising from last month’s hail storm in Alberta, but it’s not clear yet how much of the bill will get picked up by reinsurers, the Insurance Bureau of Canada reports. The…
Fraud schemes that financially-strapped clients may be considering
July 14, 2020 by Greg MeckbachSome consumers who owe money on vehicle loans during the COVID-19 pandemic may be tempted to make false auto theft claims, an independent adjuster warns. “Insureds who are desperate for money may have the vehicle stolen and burned to ensure…