Premier Ford promises ‘solution’ to Ontario joint and several liability concerns
January 28, 2019 Allison Jones - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Ontario is taking a look at municipalities’ concerns about a legal rule that they say causes “liability chill” and leads some to ban activities such as street hockey and tobogganing. In a speech Monday to the Rural Ontario…
How a different mindset can transform the claims industry
January 25, 2019 by Jason ContantThe claims industry would benefit from shifting their thinking on what it takes for claims professionals to do their jobs, speakers said Wednesday at the Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association’s 2019 Claims Conference in Toronto. Think about an employee with 40…
How your commercial clients are exposed to pot liability even if they don’t produce cannabis
January 25, 2019 by Greg MeckbachMarijuana poses a liability risk for commercial clients even if they are not in the cannabis business, an insurance lawyer suggests. Suppose your client operates a hotel where a party takes place. If someone smokes cannabis at that party, drives,…
By how much did your clients’ auto rates increase last quarter?
January 24, 2019 by David GambrillOntario auto insurance rates increased by an average of 3.35% in the fourth quarter of 2018, with several companies receiving approval for double-digit rate increases, the province’s regulator reported. Overall, 23 insurers representing approximately 51% of the market based on…
Can’t hear the ambulance? Turn down your radio
January 17, 2019 by David GambrillA B.C. driver has failed in his bid to receive a refund for his insurance premium increase and deductible after B.C.’s public auto insurer found him 100% responsible for failing to clear an intersection for an ambulance. A B.C. ambulance…
Public insurer’s Top 5 fraud cases of 2018
January 9, 2019 by Jason ContantManitoba Public Insurance (MPI) has released its annual Top 5 list of insurance fraud cases for 2018. The list is compiled based on the unique circumstances of each fraud, financial savings to MPI ratepayer and “investigative excellence in unearthing the…
The first priority for the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario
January 9, 2019 by Greg MeckbachReforming auto insurance is top of mind for Jeff Gatcke, the new president of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario. “Our Number 1 priority would be working with insurance companies and the government on changes to the auto insurance product…
In defence of public insurance
January 7, 2019 by Jason ContantBritish Columbia’s public auto insurer is challenging the view that opening up the market to competition will create efficiencies and better accident benefits. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) was responding to comments from the Canadian Federation of Independent…
Insurer reacts to new distracted driving penalties
January 7, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe new licence suspensions and $500 minimum fines for distracted driving should remind Ontario motorists not to text and drive, a spokesperson for CAA South Central Ontario predicts. “We hope this is going to serve as a deterrent,” CAA SCO…
Marshall report on Ontario auto ‘dead’
December 18, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA report recommending major auto reforms, from a former CEO of Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, appears to have gone by the wayside. “What I have heard is that [the] Marshall [report] is dead,” consultant Willie Handler said Monday…
Drinking and boating accident sparks disagreement among judges
December 18, 2018 by Greg MeckbachIn a recent divided ruling over the constitutional rights of drivers suspected of being impaired after causing an accident, the Supreme Court of Canada has narrowly upheld the conviction of an Ontario woman who operated a boat after drinking. R.…
Which Canadian community has the lowest vehicle collision rate?
December 17, 2018 by Jason ContantA community in northern Ontario ranks as the safest for drivers in Canada, with an average vehicle collision rate of 3.8%, according to data from the Allstate Insurance Company of Canada. The 10th Annual Allstate Canada Safe Driving Study found…