B.C. Fires Wreak Multi-Million Dollar Losses
August 1, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterIn what is reported to be the worst forest fire to hit B.C. in the past 50 years, a widespread blaze has caused the evacuation of several towns and even invaded into neighboring Alberta. Although damage is expected to run…
Views (August 01, 2003)
August 1, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterDRI International now offers certification as a business continuity planner (CBCP) through its website, www.drii.org. The not-for-profit training enterprise offers the online courses globally. *************** Collision repair chain CARSTAR Automotive Canada has been named one of Canada’s top 100 fastest…
“New School” Adjusting
July 1, 2003 Vikki SpencerAdjusting may be a time-honored profession, but it is one facing an intense period of transition. New privacy rules, varied and changing auto insurance systems, the rise of class actions and growing concern with potential bad faith lawsuits. As if…
Crawford expands Quebec operations
June 6, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterAdjusting firm Crawford Adjusters Canada has opened two new offices in Quebec and hired six new members who were previously employed by rival firm Les Expertises. The new offices will provide services to the Laurentian and Lanaudiere regions, as well…
Insurer Technology Solutions: To the Rescue?
June 1, 2003 Vikki SpencerThere are a lot of things wrong with insurer income statements and balance-sheets these days – lackluster investment returns, rising claims costs, persistently bad underwriting results – all of which have put tremendous pressure on company “cost centers” to prove their worth. Information technology (IT) departments are no exception, with increased expectations for a return on investment. In an environment where vendors have come and gone, and many solutions have not lived up to the hype, insurers might be tempted to scale back IT investments. But, with a turn in insurer fortunes expected to come in the next year to 18 months, insurance companies can ill afford to be caught lagging, say experts. IT, they say, could well be a pivotal part of that return to profitability.
Views (June 01, 2003)
June 1, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) are doing their part to build safer communities. The IBC recently launched a program to honor “disaster-prepared” communities, while the ICLR unveiled the country’s first “disaster-resistant” home,…
Dealing With Tort Claims
May 1, 2003 Lorri FrederickWhile proponents of the new Ontario auto reform legislation anticipate relief for a number of issues facing automobile insurers, some fear it will further expose a smoldering crisis that has been plaguing the industry for several years now – a…
Crawford to handle “Centerpulse” class action
April 28, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterCrawford Adjusters Canada reports it has been appointed to handle claims administration for the class action settlement of a recalled hip implant.The independent adjuster’s Montreal-based team, “Crawford Expertises Canada”, was appointed by a justice of the Quebec Superior Court to…
Brouwer Claims Canada buys Ward-InterSpect business
April 11, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterVancouver-based adjusters Brouwer Claims Canada & Co. has bought the business of Ward-InterSpect Ltd. and will now operate as Brouwer InterSpect & Associates.Ward-InterSpect is headquartered in Toronto, with field-adjsuting offices in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary, strengthening Brouwer’s coast to…
Nova Scotia flooding worst in decades
April 7, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterRecent flooding across much of Nova Scotia has left many people homeless and damage to public infrastructure running into tens of millions of dollars, according to adjusters Crawford Adjusters Canada. No official estimate of insured losses resulting from the flooding…
OIAA Claims 2003: Legislative Trade-Off
April 1, 2003 Vikki SpencerTwo new pieces of legislation are changing the landscape for Ontario’s insurers. Changes to the auto insurance system have been much discussed, but falling under the radar is the introduction of contingency fees for lawyers, potentially signaling a swing to…
CICMA/CIAA Joint Conference:
April 1, 2003 Vikki SpencerAs independent and company adjusters joined together in Toronto for a recent CICMA/CIAA conference, auto claims issues were front and center. From the passage of Bill-198 in Ontario to auto theft, a common message came out of the discussions: the…