News
You’re probably working too much while at home
June 25, 2020 by Adam MalikEmployees are working longer and harder in a COVID-19 world than they did before, and it’s raising concerns about burnout — especially when many aren’t making vacation plans, according to a number of recent studies. A recent survey showed that…
Former LawPro CEO nominated to investment industry regulator board
June 25, 2020 by Greg MeckbachMalcolm Heins, a former CEO of Ontario’s professional liability insurer for lawyers, has been nominated to the board of directors of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, IIROC has announced. Heins (pictured below) joined Simcoe & Erie General Insurance…
Truck fire in Nova Scotia turns propane cylinders into projectiles
June 25, 2020 by THE CANADIAN PRESSDEBERT, N.S. – A cleanup is underway in Debert, N.S., after a transport truck carrying over 1,000 propane cylinders caught fire. Nobody was injured in Sunday’s blaze on the Plains Road, which turned a large number of the nine-kilogram cylinders…
Receivables and the recession: What does it say about your value as a broker if you don’t ask clients to pay?
June 24, 2020 by Adam MalikYes, times are tough, and brokers’ commercial clients are in a difficult financial situation during an economic recession, but brokers still have to ask their clients to pay their premiums. Brokers need their clients to pay up so that they’re…
This Nissan seatbelt lawsuit will have more than 100 witnesses
June 24, 2020 by Greg MeckbachVehicle manufacturer Nissan is facing a lawsuit in British Columbia over rear seatbelts, in a case that demonstrates how legal defence costs can multiply in a hurry. The plaintiff, Arshdeep Singh Sidhu, was nine years old in 2008 when he…
Auto total loss claims escalate after Calgary hail storm: IBC
June 24, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe industry is expecting well over 20,000 claims from the recent Alberta hail storm, and some vehicles were wrecked badly enough that they have to be written off, the Insurance Bureau of Canada reports. “We are hearing from several consumers…
How this motorist missed out on his senior’s discount
June 24, 2020 by Greg MeckbachWhen a British Columbia motorist turned 65 in 2017, he did not immediately get the senior rate class discount, so he tried to sue the public auto insurer for a refund. But the province’s Civil Resolution Tribunal ruled in favour…
Toronto officer now allegedly linked to illegal tow truck scheme
June 24, 2020 by Paola Loriggio - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – A Toronto police officer arrested last week in the theft of a police radio has now allegedly been linked to an illegal operation benefiting the tow truck industry. Toronto police said Monday that 11 people, including 47-year-old Const.…
How auto dealership closures affected the industry
June 23, 2020 by Greg MeckbachCanada’s property and casualty insurance industry saw a steep drop this past April in the number of auto clients seeking policies for new vehicles, and it’s not clear how long a more recent rebound will last, the head of LowestRates.ca…
How Alberta brokers are faring with hail claims
June 23, 2020 by Greg MeckbachBrokers with clients in northeast Calgary are getting overwhelmed with claims from the June 13 storm, a board member of the province’s association says. “You can just hear the exasperation in their voice when you talk to them, and the…
One indirect way for brokerages to protect their receivables during the pandemic
June 23, 2020 by Adam MalikOn the heels of an ominous Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey last month that shows 12% of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses owners are considering bankruptcy or winding down their business because of COVID-19, brokerages can protect their own…
B.C. proposes ‘first step’ amendments to laws governing condo insurance
June 23, 2020 by THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA – The B.C. government says proposed legislation it has introduced takes first steps to address concerns about sky-high costs and availability of insurance for condominiums and other shared properties. Housing Minister Selina Robinson says the legislation proposes to amend…