Canadian Underwriter

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covid19


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Industry panelists to discuss business continuity in the age of COVID-19

April 17, 2020 by David Gambrill

Canadian Underwriter will host a free webinar exploring how brokers’ business continuity plans have responded and will continue to respond during the unfolding drama of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduled for 1 pm EST on Wednesday, Apr. 22, the panel

News Commercial LinesInsurance

Fairfax’s Watsa unruffled by pandemic, one of three “black swan” events in 2020

April 17, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of three “black swans” to hit the industry so far in 2020 but despite the uncertainty and panic, things will return to normal, suggests Prem Watsa, CEO of Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. “The U.S.

News Insurance

How the pandemic is changing home inspections

April 16, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

If your clients are buying or selling a home, they can still get it inspected despite the pandemic, but one professional notes the volume of business is down. “For close to a month, we have been working in what I

News ClaimsClaims CanadaCommercial LinesInsuranceLegalLegislation / Regulation

Fairfax predicts court’s reaction to legislated retroactive BI policy changes

April 16, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

If laws get passed retroactively changing business interruption policy wording so that pandemic losses now get covered, insurers will likely launch legal challenges that will be looked at by high court judges, Fairfax Financial CEO Prem Watsa suggests. During Fairfax’s

News AdjustersClaimsClaims CanadaInsurance

Easter winds may have come just shy of first pandemic-era Cat event

April 15, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

High winds affecting various areas in Eastern Canada Monday will not necessarily result in a catastrophe event for property insurers, but it’s too early to tell for sure. Early Environment Canada forecasts suggested the storm could potentially lead to the

News ClaimsInsuranceLegal

Meet the restauranteur who’s taking the industry to court over pandemic BI coverage

April 14, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

Believe it or not, some commercial clients expect business interruption insurance to cover loss of income if the business gets interrupted, even if the cause of the interruption is a pandemic. Regina restaurant owner Thomas Siarkos is one such client.

News InsuranceMergers and Aqcuisitions

How Intact views potential acquisitions during pandemic

April 13, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

Despite the massive disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, Intact Financial Corp. is keeping its eye on potential mergers. “We want to make sure we have capital ready to be deployed for growth – both organic and through mergers and acquisitions,”

News AdjustersClaimsClaims CanadaCommercial LinesInsuranceLegal

The advice some lawyers give commercial clients over pandemic BI coverage

April 9, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

Brokers advising commercial clients that business interruption is not usually covered during a pandemic should not be surprised if those clients are hearing something different from their lawyers. “I would caution policyholders to thoroughly review their specific policy language before

News Commercial LinesInsuranceRisk

What to tell ‘non-essential’ clients who are closing their workplaces

April 8, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

If your clients are temporarily closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this might be a good time for them to undertake some repairs and let the fire department know they are reducing on-site staff, advises commercial insurer FM Global. “Countless

News Technology

This $40 product could solve some work-from-home bandwidth problems

April 7, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

Brokerages who are running into computer or telephone problems because they sent workers home during the pandemic could get useful tips from major technology vendors. For example, Extreme Networks Inc. advises its own workers not to rely on their WiFi

News ClaimsClaims CanadaInsurance

Advocates pushing for this temporary accident benefit reform

April 6, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

Accident benefits clients who are seriously injured could be running into issues with attendant care benefits because of the social distancing precautions in effect with the COVID-19 pandemic. FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform has heard that some

News Insurance

Key COVID-19 exposures for the Canadian P&C industry: A.M. Best

April 6, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

The Canadian property and casualty industry is well-positioned to withstand the financial pressures exerted by COVID-19, but A.M. Best Company is nevertheless concerned about commercial premiums dropping due to business closures and coverage disputes over business interruption. “In Canadian P&C,