New basement flood awareness training for home insurance brokers
June 14, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA course on basement flooding risk will likely be available to Canadian property and casualty insurance brokers within the next year, Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, told Canadian Underwriter Monday. The Intact Centre also plans…
Feds seek input on railroad insurance rules
June 6, 2018 by Greg MeckbachShould Canada’s rules on railway insurance be changed? If your answer is yes, contact the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) within the next four months explaining why. CTA, which has the power to issue and revoke certificates of fitness for federally-regulated…
Judges divided on how claimants prove involvement of unknown vehicles
May 29, 2018 by Greg MeckbachThe Court of Appeal of Alberta has ruled that motorists who claim to be hit by unidentified vehicles must prove that there was “physical contact,” and produce some kind of corroborating evidence of the involvement of an unknown vehicle. The…
Could bombed restaurants be held liable for not mitigating risk?
May 27, 2018 by Greg MeckbachRestaurant operators face minimal liability risk when customers are injured in bombing attacks, but the risk is extremely low if the attacks are unforeseen and the company does what is “reasonable under the circumstances” to manage risk, an insurance defence…
New MGA promises to “redefine” cyber risk business in Canadian P&C market
May 22, 2018 by Jason ContantBoxx Insurance, a new managing general agent (MGA) based in Toronto, has launched its flagship product Cyberboxx to help customers comply with the new data privacy legislation expected to become law in November. Federal mandatory data breach regulations will take…
Drivers say auto insurance in this province is “financially difficult” to afford: poll
May 14, 2018 by Jason ContantNearly two-thirds of polled drivers in Newfoundland and Labrador have said that auto insurance has become “financially difficult” to pay for, according to a new poll commissioned by Aviva Canada. “The system is broken and insurers, government and other stakeholders…
What’s the difference between a “self-insured retention” and a deductible?
May 14, 2018 by David GambrillA “self-insured retention” [SIR] is effectively the same thing as a deductible in a contract triggered by an insurer’s duty to defend, an Ontario court has ruled in a case involving an agreement between an elevator contractor and the building…
What claims Crawford expects to see from New Brunswick flooding
May 10, 2018 by Jason ContantClaims adjuster Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. is anticipating “numerous water damage claims to homes, business and automobiles” as a result of the flooding in New Brunswick. Shelley Landry, director of operations of Crawford Canada’s Atlantic region, told Canadian Underwriter…
Storm surge coverage now available for first time
May 7, 2018 by Jason ContantThe Co-operators announced Monday that homeowners in British Columbia and Nova Scotia can now be insured for storm surge damage, calling the coverage the first and only of its kind in Canada. Storm surges are waves caused by storms and…
How traumatized witnesses of van attack could make a case for accident benefits
May 3, 2018 by Greg MeckbachAuto insurers whose customers were witnesses to the April 23 van attack in north Toronto could be paying accident benefits claims if those witnesses have medical evidence that they suffered psychological injury, an insurance law expert suggests. Eight women and…
Broker fined for out-of-province licensing muddle
April 24, 2018 by David GambrillThe Insurance Council of Manitoba has fined Randolph McGlynn of Advocis Brokers Services Inc. $2,000 for attesting that two agents were licensed to do business in Manitoba when in fact they never held agent licenses in the province. Instead, the…
What does Vancouver’s new short-term rental bylaw mean for insurers?
April 23, 2018 by Jason ContantRidesharing insurance is again in the spotlight, now that the City of Vancouver has announced it is regulating short-term rentals such as Airbnb, and allowing residents to apply online for a business licence as of April 19. Vancouver City Council approved…