This province is bringing in new rules on car repairs and purchases
October 25, 2018 The Canadian PressCALGARY – Starting next week, there will be new rules in Alberta for selling autos or getting them fixed. Service Alberta Minister Brian Malkinson says the changes go into effect on Wednesday and will increase transparency and better protect consumers.…
The special insurance needs of art collectors
October 24, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA recent prank by an anonymous street artist shows that collectibles – which require special insurance – can become more valuable if they are damaged. “Normally when a piece of art is damaged, it would drop in value,” Kelly Juhasz,…
Will you soon be selling cyber insurance for automated vehicles?
October 22, 2018 by David GambrillBrokers may wind up selling cyber insurance for automated vehicles by 2040. “Cybersecurity is a red-hot topic in the insurance world,” Sami Shaker, a physicist for Kodsi Forensic Engineering, told brokers attending a presentation on automated cars at the 2018…
Three strong earthquakes reported off Canadian coast
October 22, 2018 The Canadian PressThree relatively strong earthquakes were recorded Sunday night in the Pacific Ocean off Vancouver Island. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 6.6 magnitude quake about 260 kilometres west of Tofino, followed by a 6.8 tremor and then a third measuring…
When keeping customer’s car keys is not “custody” of a car
October 21, 2018 by Greg MeckbachNorthbridge has to pay out on a hotel’s liability insurance policy resulting from theft of a guest’s car, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in a decision released Friday. Lombard, now known as Northbridge, provided both property and liability insurance…
Crawford’s Top 3 claim loss predictions from marijuana legalization
October 18, 2018 by Jason ContantClaims adjuster Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. sees auto, commercial and workplace-related losses as the Top 3 claims arising from the legalization of marijuana. Auto losses related to cannabis usage; commercial losses to cannabis producers, retailers and distributors; and employee…
Supreme Court to decide limits of pollution liability indemnification
October 18, 2018 by Greg MeckbachDoes a pollution liability indemnification agreement made in 1985 by a provincial government apply when the same government tries to force companies to pay environmental remediation costs 26 years later? Ontario judges disagree, so the question is now before the…
Were the Ottawa-Gatineau tornadoes the costliest in Canadian history?
October 17, 2018 by Jason ContantThe tornadoes that struck the Ottawa-Gatineau area on Sept. 21 cost the industry $300 million in insured damage, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said Wednesday. Of that, $200 million was for insured damage on the Ontario side, and $100…
Courts examine how condo corporations recoup common-area repair costs
October 17, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA dispute between a condominium corporation and a unit owner – ultimately arising from frozen water pipes – has landed at the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2015, the condominium board of the Erindale Village complex passed a resolution requiring…
Filling hydro dams in Quebec causing small earthquakes
October 14, 2018 Stephanie Marin - THE CANADIAN PRESSMONTREAL – Filling the reservoirs of Quebec’s hydroelectric dams has sometimes caused small earthquakes – a process that doesn’t seem to have occurred elsewhere in Canada, according to a seismologist who has studied the phenomenon. Maurice Lamontagne says it’s still…
Why commercial property claims could skyrocket after pot legalization
October 11, 2018 by David GambrillLarge-severity commercial property losses could be the upshot of the legalization of marijuana on Oct. 17, an insurance lawyer cautions. “I see there being more property loss-type claims coming out of these large [marijuana-growing] facilities, particularly the greenhouse facilities,” Aaron…
What’s the likelihood of an EF5 tornado in Canada?
October 10, 2018 by Jason ContantFollowing the EF3 tornado that struck Dunrobin, Ont. on Sept. 21, should insurers worry about the potential for a powerful EF5 strike on a major population centre in Canada? Probably not. But they should be concerned about tornadic storms in…