Auto Repair Perspective: Work For, Not Against
May 1, 2000 John Norris, executive director of the Hamilton District AutobodThe world of repair shops and front-line collision damage appraisers is very different to that of the corporate insurance industry. A closer understanding of the challenges faced by both sides is clearly needed. In fact, with both bodyshops and insurers…
Aftermarket Auto Parts: Shifting Gears
May 1, 2000 David CarrLegal action against insurance companies in the U.S. for alleged unauthorized use of aftermarket parts in vehicle repair have bubbled up into Canada. Within months of a successful $1.2 billion class action in Illinois against State Farm Insurance, similar suits…
Mitchell International acquired by private equity firm
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterSupplier of information products and software for the insurance, glass replacement and collision repair industries Mitchell International has announced it is being acquired by San Francisco-based equity firm Hellman & Friedman. The company was sold by previous owner The Thomson…
Your Frontline Partner
January 1, 2000 Sam Malatesta Vice President, Marketing & Insurance Relations, CHow insurers treat customers when it counts most will be a critical marketing element that will lead to brand recognition and brand loyalty for all those involved in the insurance distribution channel.
The Edge of Claims Handling
January 1, 2000 AxiomAs the company’s senior marketing representative, this occasion was a command performance for me. My company was unveiling its new and improved 24-hour claims service, which included a fleet of modern cell phone, fax and computer-equipped cars to take our…
Toronto City struck down in bodyshop fight
December 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Supreme Court of Ontario has ruled in favour of insurers who mounted a challenge against a City of Toronto bylaw outlawing insurers from directing their insureds to preferred bodyshops. “This is a big victory for the industry and for…
Letters (November 01, 1999)
November 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterDear Editor, I was so pleased to read that Jan Lowther had received the “Golden Torch” award recently in Colorado. Jan has been the “guiding light” for risk management communications in Canada for many years and her trustworthy and interested…
Industry looks outward to control auto costs
October 1, 1999 Lowell ConnA recent Competition Bureau decision favoring “insurer preferred bodyshops” has provided auto property and casualty insurance companies with much needed ammunition in a pending court battle with the City of Toronto to overrule a longstanding by-law prohibiting the establishment of…
The mechanics of Ontario’s collision repair
October 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterOntario’s collision repair industry is undergoing fundamental change — however, it is a change that spells good news for a besieged industry, insurers as well as a beleaguered consumer.
the drive for Safer Roads
September 1, 1999 Lowell ConnCanadian automobile insurers wrote a combined $9.3 billion in earned premiums in 1998 while incurring losses of $7.0 billion. This 77.45 loss ratio ranks second only to accident & sickness as the worst loss experience category among all property &…
ROAD SAFETY SWITCHES GEARS
July 1, 1999 Lowell ConnThe pendulum on road safety from an insurer perspective is swinging back from mechanical design of vehicles to a more holistic view of driving skills and adequacy of road infrastructure, delegates were told at the Insurance Information Centre of Canada’s…
The Safety Equation
June 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorRecent months have seen increased pressure being brought to bear by the private property and casualty insurance industry to deregulate the monopoly positions of provincial government insurers. Due to its sheer size and control of one of Canada’s largest consumer…