Insurers bring Cat claims in-house: How independent adjusters adapt
February 7, 2024 Jason ContantSome major Canadian P&C insurers are bringing claims processes in-house, arguing it results in a better customer experience, cost efficiencies and consistent claims-handling. But that doesn’t mean the end is near for independent adjusters (IAs). They see a bright future…
Lithium-ion batteries leading to deadly fires – and lawsuits
February 5, 2024 Philip PoradoCanadian property and casualty insurers may need to review their exposure to e-scooter claims, based on fresh claims emerging in the courts. A Vancouver woman is suing several makers of e-bikes and e-scooters following an apartment fire in 2022 in…
How accident claims hit rideshare drivers’ personal auto policies
January 26, 2024 Philip PoradoThere seems to be a disconnect between drivers and their insurers about the ability to access personal auto coverage when driving for food delivery or rideshare companies like Uber, Lyft and others. While there’s no hard data to quantify a…
How reconstruction companies are improving repair timelines
January 22, 2024 Alyssa Di SabatinoA shortage of tradespeople isn’t making it easy for the restoration industry to recover from extended repair cycle times during the pandemic. While cycle times are starting to improve, frequent NatCats and a lack of qualified talent are stretching capacity…
Can higher lodging costs cut restoration losses?
January 12, 2024 Philip PoradoInsurers looking to reduce home restoration claims costs should find ways to avoid tearing out walls, flooring, rugs, trim and other major construction components. One insurer’s launched a program to do just that. The approach will lead to a “1%…
Should insurers help customers build back better…or not at all?
January 4, 2024 Philip PoradoIncreased severity and frequency of NatCats has Canada’s P&C insurance ecosystem seeking ways to add resilience to the claims process. This includes build back better initiatives to encourage adding things like hurricane straps or hail-resistant shingling to roof rebuilds to…
Holly, jolly claims follies
December 18, 2023 by David GambrillIt wouldn’t be the holiday season without someone trying to ignite their house by attaching burning candles to the Christmas tree. An internet search for “crazy Christmas claims” finds insurance broker websites rife with holiday-related claims in the neighbourhood of…
Do auto clients ask for trouble by hiking deductibles?
December 15, 2023 Philip PoradoDuring the recent renewal cycle, many personal auto customers opted to increase their deductibles to reduce their annual premiums. Now, those decisions are leading customers who’ve been in accidents to delay pursuing claims because they don’t have enough cash on…
Fall risks associated with e-scooters
August 25, 2023 Brittany Sinclair, B.Sc., P.Eng. 30 Forensic EngineeringEditor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on the biomechanics of rider falls from e-scooters. Part 2 will appear next week. Canada’s capital is in the midst of its fourth electric scooter (or e-scooter) pilot program.…
Why AB claimant won’t receive additional benefits
August 1, 2023 Philip PoradoAn applicant citing pain and other issues did not meet the burden of proof for an insurer to provide benefits beyond the minimum injuries guideline (MIG), adjudicator Janet Roswell wrote in a July 28, 2023 Licence Appeal Tribunal decision (Jabbour…
Why this AB claimant couldn’t prove an inability to carry on a normal life
July 27, 2023 Philip PoradoAn accident benefits claimant failed to meet the stringent non-earner benefit (NEB) test and is not entitled to ongoing benefits, adjudicator Derek Grant wrote in a July 21, 2023 Licence Appeal Tribunal decision. The claimant, Dominik Crnogorac (referred to afterwards…
Can insurers and reinsurers survive looming NatCat trends?
July 21, 2023 Glenn McGillivrayOne of the hallmarks of a warming world is that you never know what may come next. The reasonably stable climate of the last 100,000 years is being thrown into disarray as Earth’s systems are forced out of kilter. For…