Topic Risk Managers
‘Bodily injury expected or intended’ exclusion applies to daycare seeking liability coverage
September 29, 2021 by Greg MeckbachLiability insurer Northbridge does not have to cover a Prince George, British Columbia daycare owner accused of shaking a child severely enough to cause brain injury, a judge ruled last week. A lawsuit, against the person operating the daycare, was…
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,…
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…
B.C. not effectively overseeing safety of dams: auditor general
September 15, 2021 by The Canadian PressVICTORIA – The British Columbia government has not effectively overseen the safety of the 1,900 dams it regulates, says the auditor general. Michael Pickup said the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has not adequately verified…
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.…
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,…
How the hail peril is changing
September 8, 2021 by Jason ContantOnce confined mostly to “hail alley” regions such as south and central Alberta, Texas and Colorado, hailstorms are now doing damage across North America in plenty of regions considered low-risk, says a new white paper from RIMS, the risk management…
When your commercial auto client smells a rat
September 2, 2021 by Greg MeckbachTall grass and vegetation are not good choices for areas to park or store construction equipment, trucks, recreational vehicles, campers, trailers or trucks. This is because rodents tend to like tall grass, Northbridge Insurance warns. “If buildings, vehicles, and equipment…
Engineering or maintenance? Why both CGL and professional liability could cover this lawsuit
September 1, 2021 by Greg MeckbachA British Columbia court has ruled in favour of Northbridge General Insurance Corporation in a dispute with XL Specialty Insurance Company over liability coverage arising from a strata power failure. Both insurers wrote policies for PCA Valence Engineering Technologies Ltd.,…
How Lloyd’s says your client could suffer reputational harm
August 25, 2021 by Greg MeckbachUp to a quarter of the value of some of your commercial clients’ firms could be their own brand and reputation. This reputational value could degrade quickly if your client is perceived to have behaved badly, a Future of Insurance…
Should public workers’ compensation protect clients from liability for mental stress caused by harassment?
August 23, 2021 by Greg MeckbachOntario’s workers’ compensation tribunal was wrong when it decided that a Niagara Falls hotel can’t be sued by a former worker who alleges she was forced to quit after suffering harassment, the provincial Divisional Court has ruled. As a result…