What Ontario needs to do to reduce auto insurance costs
March 20, 2018 by Greg MeckbachIf Ontario motorists want lower insurance rates, the government will have to take a harder line on distracted driving, a former Ontario civil servant said Monday. Fraud in the collision repair industry and distracted driving are among the issues that…
If a car is parked in the forest, is it fraud?
March 20, 2018 by Jason ContantOut of sight, out of mind? That expression could be used to describe a recent Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) fraud case in which a hunter, deep in the backwoods of the Interlake, was amazed to come across a car in…
Uber suspends testing of automated cars after pedestrian killed
March 19, 2018 by David GambrillUber has suspended all testing of its self-driving cars after an Uber car in autonomous mode reportedly struck and killed a woman in Phoenix, Arizona. Uber suspended its testing of autonomous vehicles in Toronto, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Arizona after a…
Supreme Court won’t hear coffee spill accident benefits case
March 16, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorThe Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from an Ontario auto insurer over a motorist who claimed accident benefits coverage after being scalded by hot coffee in a stationary car. Canada’s highest court announced Thursday it has…
Auto pricing report shows the slow pace of regulatory approvals, insurers say
March 14, 2018 by David GambrillA 2018 Auto Insurance Price Index released Tuesday illustrates, more than anything, the slow pace of regulatory approval for auto rates across the country, Insurance Bureau of Canada says. “When we see reports like this [about auto insurance rate trends],…
New discount proposed for claimants who use insurers’ accredited body shops
March 13, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorIn the wake of an undercover investigation that allegedly caught collision repair centres deliberately damaging vehicles, Aviva Canada is pushing for discounts for vehicle owners who agree to use an insurer’s accredited body shop. Such a discount would require a…
AB claimant can’t circumvent tribunal by suing insurer for bad faith, court rules
March 13, 2018 by David GambrillLaunching an independent bad faith claim in court against an insurer over a loss of accident benefits cannot be done to circumvent the tribunal and arbitration process, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has found. Economical Mutual Insurance Company successfully…
Aviva Canada says Ontario auto fraud has gotten worse
March 13, 2018 by Greg MeckbachCanada’s second-largest insurer has issued a loud and clear warning about the pervasiveness of auto insurance fraud. “The system is more broken than it was in 2012,” Gordon Rasbach, vice president of fraud management at Aviva Canada, said Monday in…
Insurer accused of bad faith pays $100,000 more for repairs than what the car is worth
March 12, 2018 by David GambrillB.C.’s Supreme Court has allowed a bad faith claim to proceed against the Insurance Corporation of B.C. in the case of a Ferrari repair that cost the government insurer almost $800,000 — about $100,000 more than what the car was…
No push from brokers to end B.C. government monopoly on auto insurance
March 7, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorDespite the fact that British Columbia’s government monopoly auto insurer lost almost $1 billion in the first nine months of last year alone, brokers in the province are not seeing a push from motorists to open the market to competition.…
How mobile apps can help expedite total loss appraisals
March 7, 2018 by Jason ContantMobile apps that allow policyholders to upload photos of damaged vehicles from auto accidents can help speed up the claims process, particularly for those involved in a total loss, the president of the Canadian Independent Adjusters Association (CIAA) said on…
ICBC to remodel system to reward low-risk drivers
March 6, 2018 Dirk Meissner - THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA – Major shifts in direction are being considered to ensure good drivers in British Columbia receive lower insurance rates, says the minister responsible for the province’s public auto insurer. David Eby said the government introduced an online survey Monday…