Author Terry Pratchett once said: “If you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are. And if you don’t know where you are, then you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.”

In the spirit of showing where Canada’s P&C insurance professionals “came from” last year, to use Pratchett’s words, we present our Top 10 best-read insurance news stories of 2019.

Our Top 10 list is culled from more than 1,000 original, Canadian-based, P&C insurance-related news stories that our staff published last year. In total, our stories generated more than 3.2-million webpage views in 2019.

Our Top 10 list is presented in the order of the most to least popular (as measured in webpage views), representing the industry’s most-read stories in 2019. While some of these stories may have been predictable, there may be a few surprises in this list:

1. Intact loses court battle over voiding auto policy for misrepresentation

If an Ontario auto insurer discovers a client made a material misrepresentation or non-disclosure in its application, could the insurer treat the policy as invalid to being with? Not now. Or at least, not if the fact situation is the same as in ING Insurance Company of Canada, also known as, or formerly, ING Halifax Insurance Company v. Karla Garay Merino, et al….

2. Intact agrees to buy The Guarantee and MGA Frank Cowan

Canada’s largest property and casualty insurer, Intact Financial Corp. has agreed to buy The Guarantee Company of North America and MGA Frank Cowan Company Limited for about $1 billion from Princeton Holdings….

3. The type of claims that may arise from legalization of cannabis edibles

With the upcoming legalization of edibles containing cannabis this October, Canadian claims adjusters may see more indirect injury loss and damage claims, suggests a lawyer with Field Law in Calgary….

4. These Lloyd’s syndicates have shut down

Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings is among the insurers who own Lloyd’s syndicates that were shut down at the end of 2018. The Corporation of Lloyd’s released Wednesday a list of the eight syndicates that stopped trading as of Dec. 31. Among them are syndicates ultimately owned by Paris-based AXA-XL and Bermuda-based Axis Capital Holdings Inc.

Fairfax, AXA and Axis are still in the Lloyd’s market because they continue operating syndicates that were not shut down….

5. How insurers treat monitored home alarm systems

Having a video camera installed with your home alarm system is one way for your client to reduce burglary risk, but it’s questionable whether this is an underwriting factor considered by the insurance company….

6. Condo flooding liability 101

You are the owner of a condo unit. The toilet in the condo unit above you overflows, causing water damage to your ceiling and floor. No, your upstairs neighbour does not have to reimburse you for your $1,000 insurance policy deductible, unless you can prove he was negligent….

7. How this insurer detects distracted drivers

Canada’s largest property and casualty insurer is checking to see whether some of its auto insurance clients are using their phone while driving. If your auto client is insured by Intact under its My Driving Discount program, Intact can detect mobile phone use, company officials told Canadian Underwriter….

8. Intact wins priority dispute over rental car coverage in standard auto policy

Ontario’s Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling in favour of Intact Insurance Company in a priority dispute over who is afforded coverage when operating a rental vehicle. In a decision released Thursday, the appeal court found that liability coverage for rental vehicles is available under the standard Ontario Automobile Policy (OAP1), but only when the vehicle is rented by the “named insured” or a spouse who lives with the named insured….

9. AIG Canada to stop underwriting new individual personal policies

AIG Canada is pulling out of writing personal lines business in Canada. AIG communications director Lynn Woodburn confirmed to Canadian Underwriter Wednesday evening that it would no longer underwrite new policies in personal lines. This confirmed speculation among brokers that came to light late last week. The decision does not affect AIG’s commercial business, which it will continue to write in Canada….

10. Hurricane Dorian’s projected path into Canada

Hurricane Dorian is tracking to hit Atlantic Canada as a post-tropical storm Sunday, about a week after post-tropical storm Erin inflicted heavy rainfall over southwestern Nova Scotia….