Topic Personal Auto
Insurers can deny entire claim for fraud, not just the fraudulent part, court affirms
February 13, 2023 by David GambrillIf an auto insurance claimant fraudulently applies for accident benefits payments arising out of a crash, the insurer can deny the entire auto claim, not just the fraudulent part of the claim, the Alberta Court of Appeal has confirmed. In…
Quebec brokers build aggregator to benefit the broker channel
February 10, 2023 by David GambrillQuebec’s broker association has built a new online quote aggregator system by brokers for brokers. “Some insurance companies would call it an aggregator, but I would say it’s more like an online rocket,” said Mathieu Brunet, vice president of MP2B…
Insurers don’t need a medical reason for denying IRB: Appeal Court
February 9, 2023 by David GambrillAn auto insurer does not have to state a medical reason for terminating a claimant’s income replacement benefits (IRBs) if there is another legal, non-medical ground for doing so (such as a return to work, for example), the Ontario Court…
Despite inflation easing, Intact expects ongoing hard market
February 8, 2023 by David GambrillDespite lower inflation, Intact Insurance is nevertheless predicting an ongoing hard market in Canada in 2023 because of higher reinsurance rates and elevated natural catastrophes. “Looking at the [Canadian P&C insurance] industry, we see hard market conditions continuing, given rising…
Industry vet joins new brokerage
February 7, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoIndustry veteran Paul Martin has been appointed as chief operating officer of Lawrie Insurance Group. Previously, Martin was president and COO of KRG Insurance Brokers for more than 40 years — a position he maintained when KRG merged with RRJ…
Accident benefits claimant misses notification period by two decades
February 3, 2023 by David GambrillOntario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) has denied an application for auto accident benefits from a woman injured in an auto accident because she missed the 30-day window to notify her insurance company — by more than 20 years. On May…
January auto sales up 7.5% from previous year
February 2, 2023 by The Canadian PressTORONTO – DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. (DAC) says light vehicle sales in Canada in January were up 7.5 per cent compared with the first month of 2022. The automotive industry research firm estimates 98,259 new light vehicles were sold by…
EY clarifies report that rekindled public-private auto insurance debate
February 1, 2023 by Jason ContantEY Canada has issued a clarification to a report it conducted that B.C.’s public auto insurer says show the province’s auto insurance rates are among the lowest in Canada. Commissioned by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), EY conducted…
What a Canadian public earthquake backstop might look like
January 31, 2023 by David GambrillA federal government backstop designed to help private insurers cover high-risk flooding could be extended to protect Canadians from earthquake risk as well, Canada’s home, car and business insurers suggested in a release Tuesday. Meanwhile, in the absence of a…
Length of car rental for collision claims keeps getting higher
January 31, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAuto insurers can expect their policyholders’ average length of rental (LOR) for collision-related claims to reach 17.1 days — an increase of 4.3 days from the prior year and 0.6 days from Q3, Enterprise’s 2022 Q4 data shows. “While the…
Claimant can’t resume auto AB payments after 13 months on the job
January 30, 2023 by David GambrillA New Brunswick woman injured in an auto accident is not entitled to resume her accident benefits payments 13 months after returning to work, the province’s top court has ruled. New Brunswick’s Court of Appeal sided with her auto insurer,…
Is inflation affecting how policyholders drive?
January 30, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoInsurers had predicted consumer driving habits would return to pre-pandemic levels during 2022, or 2023 at the latest, but inflation may be throwing a wrench in those forecasts, said a recent industry survey. Almost half (48%) of Canadians have made…