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Is sinkhole damage covered under a standard home insurance policy?

May 7, 2019 by Jason Contant

Editor’s Note: This story has been edited to include additional comments.   Is damage from a sinkhole covered under a standard homeowner’s policy? “Earth movement” is typically excluded under a standard policy, but an earthquake endorsement may provide coverage. The

News InsuranceLegislation / Regulation

Why it’s ‘time to stop talking’ about the Marshall report

May 6, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Two years after David Marshall released 30 recommendations for reforming auto insurance in Ontario, it’s time to focus on what the current government is actually proposing, a consultant suggests. “I think it’s time to stop talking about Marshall and focus

News BrokersClaims

‘It’s triage now’: Cottage Country brokers deal with flood fallout

May 6, 2019 by Adam Malik

Brokers in Ontario’s Muskoka region are calling the recent flooding event the worst disaster they’ve ever seen. Both Stephen Darling, president at A.W. Shiers Insurance Brokers, and Adam Caswell, owner of Hutcheson Reynolds & Caswell, said damage is greater and

News Insurance

Should insurers offer incentive for remote water shut-off?

May 6, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

If your client owns a multi-storey commercial or residential building and installs a system that lets them shut water off immediately if necessary, how easy is it to get a break on insurance? “To the best of our knowledge there

News InsuranceLegislation / Regulation

What auto insurance brokers should keep in mind if cash settlements are banned

May 3, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Brokers need to understand both the upside and downside to a “care not cash” clause in an accident benefits policy so clients can choose an option that fits their needs, says an Ontario auto insurance expert. The Ontario government is

News BrokersInsurance

How brokers personally assist during floods

May 2, 2019 by Jason Contant

The flooding last year in Grand Forks, B.C. was a prime example of how an insurance broker provides more than just policy advice and advocacy when disaster strikes. A broker could provide money upfront for additional living expenses, emotional support

News AdjustersCatastrophesInsurance

How Quebec floods are challenging adjusters

May 1, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Many homes flooded in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que. will be total losses and may not have overland flood coverage, a vice president for an independent adjusting firm suggests. Claims adjusting firm ClaimsPro is involved in about 2,000 flood claims from April in

News Insurance

Ontario’s ‘most encouraging statement about auto insurance’ in 35 years

April 30, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

The recent Ontario budget document is giving some insurers hope that the government will actually fix the province’s auto insurance system. “Many people have said that the comprehensive package contained in the budget is frankly the most encouraging statement about

News InsuranceLegal

Why the court says this auto insurer did not properly terminate policy

April 30, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

An auto insurance company cannot necessarily treat a policy as invalid under common law if it discovers the client made a material misrepresentation on the application, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has ruled. In Merino v. ING Insurance Company

News Claims

How much of the Quebec flooding is insurable?

April 29, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

About one in three Quebec homeowners have overland flood coverage, but that number could be much lower in areas affected by recent floods. In the Montreal suburb of Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., waters from Lake of Two Mountains breached a dike at about

News Insurance

Why your travelling clients shouldn’t rely on public health insurance

April 26, 2019 by David Gambrill

Ontario residents who purchase private travel health insurance coverage before traveling outside of Canada will likely not notice the impact of the province’s new proposal to stop OHIP coverage for residents travelling abroad, one executive in the travel insurance business

News ClaimsInsurance

Why this 1997 home fire claim is still active in the courts

April 24, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

An art appraiser who gave evidence in 2007 at a coverage dispute lawsuit against Chubb Insurance Company of Canada is now suing his former client. Bridgette Sagl’s home in Mississauga, Ont. burned down Dec. 16, 1997. Chubb denied her claim,