Extreme Perils
June 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorNatural disasters such as extreme weather, a volcanic eruption or an earthquake, are often quaintly referred to in the insurance world as “Acts of God”, adverse events which are seemingly unexplainable or beyond man’s control. Noticeably, the economic and insurance…
Storming ahead successfully
June 1, 1999 AxiomWe couldn’t have picked a worse day for the opening of my company’s new regional office. Gale-force winds had blasted into the city overnight, knocking down trees and power-lines, shutting down the airport, and tearing the roofs off new, unfinished…
We are Doing Something About the Weather
April 1, 1999 Paul Kovacs, executive director, Institute for Catastrophic LossIn January, more than two hundred of the world’s leading scientists met in Geneva to discuss what we should do about our changing weather. This gathering is part of an even larger working group that has been making steady research…
Cat hits on U.S.
April 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterJanuary 1999 was the third-costliest January for the U.S. in terms of catastrophe claims on record with insurers paying an estimated $1.75 billion in damages. The claims result from four events, according to Insurance Services Office, Inc.’s Property Claim Services…
Skills in risk
March 1, 1999 Richard Saylor, a risk management consultant and former risk & iEvery end is a new beginning. This has never been truer than in today’s fast paced world where everyone and everything is constantly being reinvented. As I look at my career in the risk management field, I can see that…
New Year’s weather hit
March 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterThe snowstorm which almost buried Toronto for the first two weeks of the new year is expected to cost insurers roughly $50 million, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) estimates. Around 115cm of snow fell on Toronto with heavy accumulations…
Risk Management: It’s a Buyer’s Market
March 1, 1999 Lowell Conn and Sean van ZylDespite deteriorating conditions in the property and casualty insurance market, insurers continue to slash already low premium rates. Market observers forecast this trend to continue for at least 24 months as insurers prioritize marketshare over revenue prosperity. Simply put, the…
Letters (February 01, 1999)
February 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterDear editor: Vibration from construction equipment, or blasting operations commonly results in claims from nearby homeowners for structural damage to their residence. It is now common to conduct pre-construction surveys of such residences to document any existing damage prior to…
Financial MANAGEMENT LIABILITY
February 1, 1999 Shelley BoyesBugs, big deals, bad spills and a certain public official’s sexual high crimes and misdemeanors were all key factors driving the corporate insurance market throughout 1998. And the same scary financial exposures will likely be very much in the minds…
Ice Storm Lessons learnt
February 1, 1999 Paul Kovacs, Executive Director, Institute for Catastrophic LossAt the time, it captivated Canadians across the country and even today is at the top of book best seller lists. The raw power of nature displayed by the ice storm which paralyzed south eastern Ontario, Quebec and parts of…
A fair shake?
January 1, 1999 Don Turner, an Adjusting ConsultantI am often asked what my profession is. Instead of saying, “insurance adjuster” I often respond “an arson investigator”. I choose the latter for simplicity and to avoid a volley of complaints from the public over perceived injustices in the settlement of claims.
U.S. cat losses continue
January 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterCatastrophe losses continued to dampen U.S. property and casualty underwriters’ results for the third quarter of 1998, according to A.M. Best Company. The industry’s net income for the period fell 15% from the previous year’s level, due to higher underwriting…