News
Totten launches monthly payment option
February 1, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterTotten Insurance Group has selected Policy Bill to provide an outsourced point of sale solution for monthly payment plans. Dubbed the Totten Pay Plan, this new offering allows clients to pay for their Totten policy using a monthly payment option.…
Minor earthquake shakes Manitoba, Saskatchewan
February 1, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterA minor, Magnitude 4.4 tremor shook Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the early morning of Feb 1, 2012.Data from the U.S. Geological Survey located the quake at approximately five kilometers below the surface. “The epicentre is pinpointed to near Esterhazy, Sask.,…
IBC encourages homeowners and tenants to do inventory of belongings
February 1, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterCanada’s home, auto and business insurers are reminding homeowners and tenants to keep track of their possessions.“Often, home insurance policies automatically renew each year and consumers may not even think about what their policies cover,” Doug Noble, the Insurance Bureau…
Quebec shuts down six provincial driving schools
February 1, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterQuebec’s auto insurer, the Societe de l’assurance automobile du Quebec (SAAQ), has suspended the licenses of six of the province’s driving schools, following reports that the schools were selling certificates to students who weren’t attending the lessons, according to CTV…
Crawford & Company (Canada) announces three personnel appointments
January 31, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterCrawford & Company (Canada) Inc. has announced three new appointments in it operations. Randy LaBrash is now director of GTS in western Canada. He will focus primarily on commercial large loss files handling within the region, as well as assume…
Appeal Court overturns rear-end collision liability findings because trial judge failed to resolve divergent testimony
January 31, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Ontario Court of Appeal ordered a re-trial in a case that apportioned liability for a rear-end collision on the basis that the trial judge failed to resolve divergent testimony.In Martin-Vandenhende v. Myslik, the Appeal Court notes Janice Martin-Vandenhende was…
CARSTAR adds Kanata location to its roster
January 31, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterCARSTAR Automotive Canada Inc. has added a fourth location to the Ottawa market, in Kanata. CARSTAR Kanata (Allard’s) has more than 22,000-square-feet of production space, making it one of the largest collision centres in CARSTAR’s network. The building has approximately 2,000…
Thai floods create opportunities for Canadian investment
January 31, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterFloods that devastated Thailand’s industrial parks in 2011 have created opportunities for Canadian and other foreign companies to invest in local reinsurers that are in dire need of new capital, A.M. Best says.The flooding in Thailand resulted in an estimated…
Karen Clark & Company introduces new tool to supplement models in managing catastrophe risk
January 31, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterKaren Clark & Company (KCC), independent experts in catastrophe risk, catastrophe models and catastrophe risk management, is introducing Characteristic Events (CEs), a new tool to assist insurance companies in assessing and managing catastrophe risk.CE intensity “footprints” are created using the…
Advanced vehicle technology may cause debate in the future about “cosmetic” versus “functional” repairs: CCIF Toronto meeting
January 30, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterThe increasing integration of advanced vehicle technology (AVT) into vehicle design means insurers will have difficult decisions to make in the future about financing “cosmetic” versus “functional” repairs, delegates at the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) heard in Toronto on…
Steve Lucas appointed vice president of national accounts at ACE Canada
January 30, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterACE Canada, the Canadian-based operating division of the ACE Group, has appointed Steven Lucas as vice president of national accounts. Lucas will be responsible for leading the business development strategy and will act as the principal contact for ACE Canada’s…
Canadian insurers face challenging year ahead: Ernst & Young
January 30, 2012 by Canadian UnderwriterVolatile capital markets and expanding regulations will challenge Canadian property and casualty insurers in 2012, but there are opportunities for success if insurers make the right moves, Ernst & Young says.“To reposition strategically for growth and remain high performers, insurers…