The challenge with insuring autonomous ships
May 20, 2018 by Jason ContantThe large body of regulations known as maritime law should be addressed before or in concert with insurance considerations when it comes to autonomous vessels, British Columbia-based author Blake Desaulniers told Canadian Underwriter last week. “That large body of regulations…
The latest home insurance product for brokers to figure out
May 19, 2018 by Greg MeckbachWith equipment breakdown and other new coverages available from homeowners’ insurance carriers, brokers need to make sure their clients or prospective clients are aware of their options, a Regina-based broker warns. “There are so many new products” available in homeowner…
Hub acquires Alberta brokerage specializing in commercial lines
May 3, 2018 by Greg MeckbachCarlton Insurance Brokers Inc. of Jasper, Alta., a full service brokerage that specializes in commercial auto and oil and gas, has been acquired by Hub International Limited. Carlton places insurance for a variety of clients including trucking companies and the…
Risks your client faces if it buys a former gas station
May 1, 2018 by Greg MeckbachThe owner of a “brownfield” polluted commercial property in British Columbia has lost its bid to have the property considered worthless for tax purposes. Victory Motors (Abbotsford) Ltd., situated about 80 kilometres east of Vancouver, owns commercial property that was…
Will more Canadian commercial insurers look south for acquisition targets?
April 26, 2018 by Greg MeckbachBuying American commercial insurers is a “strategy that could prove rewarding” for Canadian insurance companies, executives from Toronto-based DBRS wrote in a report released Thursday. Expanding into the U.S. commercial space “requires significant resources,” wrote Stewart McIlwraith, senior vice president…
Oil spill case resolved after party that was not at fault paid for the clean-up
April 5, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA homeowner whose insurance did not cover the full cost of cleaning up his furnace oil spill was recently awarded $473,000 in legal costs after he sued the fuel company. The December 2008 incident, in which hundreds litres of oil…
When pollution is not a ‘direct’ result of a company’s loss
April 4, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA set of lawsuits arising from industrial properties allegedly polluted before the current owners bought them is making its way through the Ontario courts. Risk managers at any organization owning or managing property should be aware of the liability from…
Insurer that paid $800,000 on home fuel oil spill cannot subrogate: Court
March 14, 2018 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorA home insurer that paid about $800,000 for an oil spill claim cannot sue the fuel companies in the insured’s name because the homeowner had declared bankruptcy, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled recently. Art and Wendy Douglas lived…
Risk management still a concern post-Lac Mégantic
January 22, 2018 by Greg MeckbachRisk management continues to be an issue for major Canadian railways, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said Wednesday in an investigation report into a freight train collision in Alberta. The report came just days before a jury acquitted…
Why your CGL pollution exclusion may not go far enough
January 4, 2018 by Canadian UnderwriterEven though they put pollution exclusions into their commercial general liability policies, two major insurers are still on the hook for defending a Vancouver area dry cleaner against a lawsuit arising from soil contamination, a court ruled last week. In…
Totten buys online brokerage
January 4, 2018 by Canadian UnderwriterManaging general agency Totten Insurance Group has acquired Windsor, Ont.-based EasyInsure, which offers quotes for both commercial and personal insurance online. Toronto-based Totten intends to use EasyInsure’s “digital capabilities to better support [Totten’s] current and future clients,” said Hub International…
Cruise ship owner learns importance of paying attention to government notices
December 19, 2017 Jason Contant, Online EditorThe sole cause of a cruise ship accident off the coast of northern Canada was the failure of its owners to keep a hydrographic chart up-to-date, the Federal Court of Canada has found. The court decision makes it clear the…