Why Sonnet asked for a 50% auto rate increase in Nova Scotia in 2020
January 10, 2020 by Greg MeckbachOnline direct writer Sonnet has been under-charging auto clients in Nova Scotia who have fewer than 20 years’ experience or less, but that is about to change. As a result of rate changes approved Thursday, the premium increase will be…
Why phone evidence fell short in this triple-collision fraud lawsuit
January 7, 2020 by Greg MeckbachAn insurer suspicious about a vehicle accident obtains evidence that the occupants of the different vehicles were talking by phone to one another. But without knowing exactly who was talking and what the vehicle occupants were talking about, this type…
What Santa delivered to Ontario auto insurers
December 23, 2019 by Greg MeckbachSugar plums are likely dancing in the heads of at least some Ontario auto underwriters as a result of a series of developments over the past year. When the government released its budget this past April, it included a bunch…
The hidden cost of Ontario auto accident injuries
December 16, 2019 by Greg MeckbachMore than half a million Ontarians receive some form of government disability support and an advocate for claimants suggests many of these are caused by motor vehicle accident injuries. “At the end of the day, unpaid claimants don’t just go…
Is there a doctor in the court? Psychologist’s evidence is not good enough for verbal threshold, court rules
December 12, 2019 by Greg MeckbachCorrection Notice: In an earlier version of this story, L&A Mutual was identified as the defendant’s insurer, which is the insurer identified in court documents. However, Aviva has since identified itself as the defendant’s insurer. When a driver is…
Would driver training reduce risk for dump trucks and buses?
December 9, 2019 by Greg MeckbachCould commercial auto risk be reduced if training was mandatory for drivers of dump trucks, buses and 20-foot cube vans? It’s a question Ontario’s transportation ministry is looking at, the province announced in its recent auditor general’s report. Formal training…
What it takes to be convicted of driving with no insurance
November 20, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWhen an Ontario motorist fails to produce proof of insurance and is charged as a result, police do not have to prove the vehicle is actually uninsured. So says Justice David Rose of the Ontario Court of Justice in R.…
Small business auto clients are taking this complaint to their politicians
November 8, 2019 by Greg MeckbachCommercial trucking underwriting rules are killing some small businesses, Ontario’s deputy opposition leader told Canadian Underwriter Friday. John Vanthof, MPP for Timiskaming—Cochrane, is hearing from family-owned businesses that they are not able to find affordable insurance for newly trained and…
The ‘interpretative stumbling block’ in figuring out whether off-road vehicle accidents are insured
October 31, 2019 by Greg MeckbachConfused about whether Ontario accident benefits applies if your client has an out-of-province accident involving a dirt bike or all-terrain vehicle? The Court of Appeal for Ontario tried to address this confusion in Benson v. Belair Insurance Company. If an…
$2.2-million credit score class action settlement with The Personal approved
October 28, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA $2.2 million settlement of a class-action privacy lawsuit against The Personal has been approved by a judge, plaintiffs’ law firm Waddell Phillips Professional Corporation announced Monday. The lawsuit arose after The Personal asked some auto claimants if it could…
Expert witness rule in auto personal injury lawsuits deemed unconstitutional
October 25, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA 22-year-old Supreme Court of Canada ruling in favour of a marine cargo insurer is a sword that could cut the other way for Canadian auto insurers. The British Columbia government brought in a rule this past March limiting parties…
How Intact is changing usage-based auto insurance in one province
October 21, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIntact Insurance is making some key changes to its usage-based insurance (UBI) product for motorists in Nova Scotia. Essentially, the company is requiring continual monitoring of an insured’s driving behaviour rather than having the same discount apply until the end…