Canadian Underwriter


Sam Kodsi
Feature

Personal Injury Fraud: Time for Healing

November 1, 2001 Vikki Spencer

Last year the insurance industry in Canada paid $500 million for personal injury claims that contained some form of fraud. At least, this is the claim made in a new study released by the Canadian Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CCAIF)

Feature

The Art of Writing

November 1, 2001 by Canadian Underwriter

As you budget for training to enhance your department in 2002, and wonder whether writing skills training is something you can “afford,” think of this letter. One poorly phrased letter can have a “domino effect” leading to misunderstandings, telephone-tag and wasted hours. Multiply this one letter by all your form letters and then by all your underwriters, and you see that writing skills is a priority that must be faced. In the words of novelist Joseph Conrad: “Facing it, always facing it, that’s the way to get through. Face it.”

Feature

Keeping the World’s Runways Open

November 1, 2001 David Carr

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11 of this year, the Canadian federal government has offered the country’s struggling airlines a wing and a prayer – at least a temporary one…

News Insurance

Boyd Group boosts U.S. holdings

October 2, 2001 by Canadian Underwriter

Winnipeg-based auto collision repair operator The Boyd Group Inc. (TSE: BYD.A) has acquired AWC Collision Center which consists of four operations located in metro Seattle and Tacoma within the U.S. state of Washington. The terms and purchase price of the

News Insurance

ICBC president Thompson to retire

October 2, 2001 by Canadian Underwriter

After six years at the helm, the head of British Columbia’s public insurer is stepping down. Thom Thompson has been president and CEO of the Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) since 1995, and his retirement comes amidst a torrent of

News InsuranceMergers and Aqcuisitions

Hail storms hit MPI balance sheet

October 1, 2001 by Canadian Underwriter

Manitoba’s public insurer has been hard hit in the first half of 2001, with its highest claims volume in five years cutting net income by nearly $44 million. Net income for Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) stands at $8.5 million for

Feature

The Great Cell Debate

September 1, 2001 Vikki Spencer

As New York takes the first step in restricting driving and hand-held cell phones this year, a building debate is growing within Canada over safety and “dialing and driving”. Although several studies seem to support increased safety risk, provincial legislators remain hamstrung over the conflicting interests of the public and the telecommunications industry.

Photography: the Image Bank
Feature

Auto Insurers, Watch Out for That “Strike Suit”

August 1, 2001 William Blakeney, of Blakeney Henneberry Baksh

The outcome of a class action lawsuit filed in Ontario against the Co-operators General Insurance Co. in an attempt to reclaim amounts the insurer allegedly gained from salvage following a total loss write-off of a vehicle and deductible charged to the insured, could herald a new attack of “strike suits” against auto insurers

Feature

Auto claim costs PILE UP

June 1, 2001 Vikki Spencer

As controversy over aftermarket parts use continues to swirl in the wake of the State Farm verdict, insurers, auto manufacturers, and those in the collision repair industry are looking at how to make driving safer and reduce accident costs. With auto insurers facing dismal results across the country, and in Ontario in particular, the need to tackle these costs is clear. But the role aftermarket parts, recycled parts, theft deterrents, and vehicle design will play in this attempt to bring profitability back to the auto insurance market was very much up for discussion at the recent Auto Insurers and Manufacturers (AIM) forum held in Mississauga.

ILLUSTRATION: GERALD HEYDENS
Feature

A SURE HAND AT THE WHEEL

June 1, 2001 Axiom

With my boss, Fred Wilson, at the wheel, we maneuvered the comfy van on to the highway and headed for the golf course. As manager of the company’s downtown branch, Fred was in close daily contact with many of our

Feature

Collision Repair: Fast Lane to the Future

May 1, 2001 Sam Malatesta, vice president marketing & insurance relations at

The past decade has been a time of transition for the collision repair industry, marked by a shrinking market and consolidation. Now the industry is seeking new alliances with the insurance industry in the drive to improve efficiency and increase customer satisfaction. As both industries head into the next decade, the pressure and the potential for success is increasingly dependent on the strength of those alliances.

A panel discussion group representative of some of the top players in the insurance and auto repair-shop industries was hosted by I-Car at its recent 2001 National Collision Repair Conference which took place in Montreal, Quebec. The issues debated were wide in range, however, all of the speakers agreed that formal service standards have to be set in what is becoming an increasingly competitive market environment - one which has seen growing tensions between insurers and their claim handling partners in the battle for cost-containment.
Feature

Collision Repair: SERVICE DETERMINES PROFITABILITY

May 1, 2001 Sean van Zyl, Editor

Speakers of an insurer/collision discussion panel hosted by the industry’s international education body I-Car at its recent Canadian national conference were provided with the stark theme of dealing with “reality”. On a particularly “realistic note” was the thick tension in