Bad Deal
April 1, 2014 by Canadian UnderwriterDisturbing business practices by some automobile dealers in Quebec have pitted insurance brokers against dealers. The battle is being waged over what the Quebec brokers association regards as a clear violation of provincial law related to dealers offering replacement cost endorsements on replacement insurance.
Avoiding Pitfalls
April 1, 2014 Bruno De Vita, Managing Partner; and Hollis Bromley, Partner, Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLPMisrepresentation and material non-disclosure can present pitfalls. When an insurer learns of facts that could give rise to a material misrepresentation, consideration must be given to voiding, cancelling or confirming the policy. If the policy is voided, the insurer must then determine the appropriate manner of dealing with the premium.
Property Loss Trends
January 31, 2014 Glenn Gibson, Chief Executive Officer, Crawford & Company Consulting (Canada) and President, business operations, Hamilton Tiger-Cats.An expert adjuster, who has taken on a surprising new role, highlights some important property cases.
Settlement Privilege
January 31, 2014 Albert Wallrap, associate, Dutton Brock LLPUnderstanding the latest developments in settlement opportunities may reduce the costs and delays of litigation for adjusters and their clients.
The Greater Whole
January 1, 2014 Ben Kosic, Chief Executive Officer, CANATICSIn the past, fraudsters have taken advantage of individual insurers who opted to piece together suspicious claims in isolation. A new initiative, however, is based on the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, bringing insurers together and pooling their data.
Managing Privacy Breaches
December 1, 2013 by Canadian UnderwriterThere are many types of risks and costs that may be triggered by a privacy breach, including those relating to managing and responding to the breach, reputational damage and financial exposure. Those businesses that manage personal information must ensure privacy-compliant business practices are in place.
Defining the Limitation Period
November 30, 2013 Mitch Kitagaw, partner, Kelly Santini LLPIn Ontario, the application of limitation periods for commercial policies is tested.
Privacy Pause
October 1, 2013 Craig Harris, Freelance WriterConsumers in Canada have shown some reluctance to embrace telematics and surveillance-like technology in their vehicles. In today’s age of big and meta data, clandestine electronic eavesdropping by government agencies and juicy revelations of whistleblowers, insurance companies may have to rethink their approach to privacy – if they want customers to buy in. Information is the new currency in rating and underwriting, but the price for entry may be greater disclosure and transparency.
Quebec’s New Culture of Law
September 30, 2013 Leila Jananji, attorney, Donati Maisonneuve LawyersHow the province has moved to a revised code of civil procedure
Auto Machination
September 1, 2013 Greg Meckbach, Associate Editor and Harmeet Singh, Online EditorWhen Ontario carriers propose private passenger auto rate changes to the government, they must now show how their proposed rates and risk classification systems contribute adequately to achieving a 15% premium reduction over two years.
Double-sided Rule on Disclosure?
July 31, 2013 Daniel StrigbergerFSCO interpretations on surveillance practices leave a lot to be desired
Facilitating the Transaction
June 1, 2013 Dane HambrookRepresentations and Warranties insurance, as an integrated transaction solution on mergers and acquisitions, is becoming a more viable alternative among intermediaries for closing a deal.