Supreme Court to hear appeal of production order in lawsuit seeking health care costs from tobacco firms
July 20, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Supreme Court of Canada announced Thursday it will hear an appeal from the British Columbia government, of a production order, in a lawsuit seeking to recover health care costs from tobacco companies. A B.C. court previously ordered the provincial…
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommends organizations provide such disclosures in public annual filings
July 4, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TFCD) has recommended that organizations provide such disclosures in their mainstream (public) annual financial filings, among other recommendations. TFCD released on June 29 its final report, saying that the task force “believes climate-related…
Personal injury lawsuit against bike park operator dismissed due to wording of waiver signed by plaintiff
June 26, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterInsurers of mountain bicycle riding parks should be able to “breathe a sigh of relief” due to a recent court decision from British Columbia, a blogger with an insurance law firm wrote in a recent post. Dr. Blake Jamieson suffered…
Supreme Court of Canada could hear appeal of lawsuit involving auditors’ duty of care to non-shareholder lenders
May 29, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterCanada’s highest court will decide June 1 whether it will hear an appeal from a major auditing and accounting firm that could face a trial this fall in a class action lawsuit filed by several banks over the bankruptcy in…
Lawyer defending accused impaired drivers sought ‘extraordinary remedies’ in alleging bias against two judges in a row: Supreme Court
May 14, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterA lawyer representing 10 motorists charged with drinking and driving-related criminal offences in Quebec has to pay $3,000 personally in costs after motions for writs of prohibition against judges were dismissed. In a decision released Friday, the Supreme Court of…
Ontario license appeal tribunal making ‘quicker determinations’ in auto claims disputes: BDO speaker
April 27, 2017 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorOntario’s new system for arbitrating auto accident benefits claims disputes has “very significant growing pains,” a lawyer told insurance professionals Thursday. During BDO Canada LLP’s 21st Annual Accident Benefits Conference, insurance defence lawyer Amanda Lennox questioned whether “access to justice…
New phishing scams aimed at accessing direct deposit funds emerging: Beazley
April 25, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterPhishing scams aimed at accessing direct deposit funds have emerged as a new danger in 2017, specialist insurer Beazley said on Tuesday. Phishing scams aimed at accessing specific employee tax information were a continuing threat, representing 9% of all breaches…
Damage to reputation/brand gets social, cyber jumps higher on risk list: Aon survey
April 24, 2017 by Angela StelmakowichPHILADELPHIA – Social media is amplifying the impact of the top-ranked risk for businesses – damage to reputation and brand – while cyber risk has fully entrenched itself in the Top 10, becoming the number one risk for respondents in…
Court finds Toronto Transit Commission has ‘demonstrated workplace drug and alcohol problem’
April 4, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterA judge has denied an application for an injunction that would have prohibited the Toronto Transit Commission from randomly testing 20% of its employees every year for drug and alcohol use. In a ruling released Monday, Mr. Justice Frank Marrocco…
Manitoba government launches review of two pieces of privacy legislation
March 29, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Government of Manitoba announced on Wednesday that it is reviewing two pieces of privacy legislation: the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The government is inviting residents to provide…
Ontario private member’s bill proposes 15% cap on personal injury lawyers’ contingency fees
March 10, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterA bill tabled Wednesday in the Ontario legislature, by a backbench Liberal MPP, would limit lawyers’ contingency fees in the province, for personal injury claims, to 15%. If passed into law, Bill 103 would stipulate that “contingency fees be capped…
Insurance Bureau calls on Ontario to implement file-and-use process for private passenger auto, allow e-signatures
February 7, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Ontario government should apply a file-and-use process for private passenger auto coverage, Insurance Bureau of Canada suggested in a paper released Monday. Auto insurers’ rate changes are subject to approval by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. FSCO actuaries…