Alberta election leaves IBC ‘cautiously hopeful’ on auto file
April 26, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAlberta brokers should touch base with the new provincial government and explain how auto insurance rules needs to change, suggests the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CEO. “Our campaign for change moves into a new phase with the recent election of…
Alberta’s new government: What next for the auto rate cap?
April 22, 2019 by David GambrillAs the newly-elected United Conservative Party (UCP) prepares to take power in Alberta, it remains an open question what the victory will mean for the province’s auto insurance companies and brokers. In his electoral victory speech, UCP Leader Jason Kenney…
How Ontario government plans to work with industry on auto reform
April 18, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe Ontario government plans to work with the industry on implementing a number of changes to auto insurance, including doubling accident benefits coverage for catastrophic impairment. In its 2019-20 budget document tabled Apr. 11, the government said motorists “should have…
CU Total Loss Series: To repair, or not to repair?
April 17, 2019 by David GambrillTotal Loss Series, Part 1: Cycle Times Imagine Canada’s auto insurance industry saving millions of dollars each year in total loss costs and passing that along to Canadian drivers in the form of premium decreases. And all by simply reducing…
What your auto client may like about Ontario budget
April 15, 2019 by Greg MeckbachSome Ontario motorists would like an auto insurance system that lets carriers offer lower rates to clients who use the carriers’ preferred collision repair or healthcare facilities, an Insurance Bureau of Canada official suggests. In its budget document tabled April…
What the Ontario budget says about auto insurance
April 12, 2019 by Greg MeckbachCredit scores could soon be used as one factor in determining Ontario auto rates, and the province plans to double coverage for catastrophic impairment, Finance Minister Vic Fedeli suggested in the budget document tabled Thursday. “Drivers should have the choice…
How usage-based insurance affects this carrier’s profits
April 12, 2019 by Greg MeckbachPembridge Insurance Company is asking brokers in four provinces to tell auto clients how much they could save by using a usage-based insurance app. Some motorists do not want usage-based insurance, Bob Tisdale, president of Pembridge, said Friday in an…
How the industry is tackling insurance fraud
April 12, 2019 by Jason ContantInsurers need to work with regulators and other carriers to help fight the growing problem of insurance fraud, industry professionals say. Industry statistics show that insurance fraud costs $1.6 billion each year in Ontario alone. “As government reflects on the…
Insurers object to characterization of Ontario auto as “profitable”
April 9, 2019 by David GambrillCanada’s home, auto and business insurers are objecting to a recent characterization of Ontario’s auto insurance regime as “profitable.” “The current trends are unsustainable for both drivers and insurance companies,” Insurance Bureau of Canada vice president of Ontario Kim Donaldson…
Ontario city partly liable in collision that injured four
April 8, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA recent Supreme Court of Canada decision means the City of Hamilton is partly liable in a motor vehicle bodily injury lawsuit because there was no painted stop line immediately before an intersection. On June 16, 2007, a vehicle driven…
How Canada’s electric vehicle infrastructure is improving
April 4, 2019 Ian Bickis - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – The electric vehicle road trip is becoming a practical reality as an increasing number of players work to close gaps in Canada’s fast-charger networks and ease fears of getting stranded along the way. New entrants like Petro-Canada and…
CU Total Loss Series: How to reduce auto total loss cycle times by a week
April 3, 2019 by David GambrillMeet Jane Doe, a total loss survivor. The front end of her car was demolished when she tried to turn left at a busy intersection. She was hit by a driver who was talking on his cell phone while running…