Early storm warning for insurers: $40 million for January storm in eastern Canada
March 6, 2019 by Jason ContantA winter storm in late January that brought snowfall, freezing rain, rain and strong winds to eastern Canada caused over $39 million in insured damage, according to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). Most of the damage occurred on Jan.…
This research can help defend slip and fall claims
March 6, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf your client owns or manages a property, can it put a number on the slipperiness of the surfaces? This is what companies managing an Ottawa property did after they were sued for $2.9 million by a civil servant who…
How innovation changes the underwriter’s job
March 6, 2019 by Greg MeckbachTechnology and data will change the underwriter’s job but will not eliminate it, suggests Russell Johnston, chief executive officer for North America of QBE Insurance Group Limited. “At the end of the day, people still make the decisions,” Johnston said…
The impact of legacy systems on AI implementation
March 5, 2019 by Jason ContantLegacy systems have long been the scourge of the industry and they are one of the things standing in the way of artificial intelligence (AI) implementation, a speaker suggested last week at the Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference in Toronto. “There’s a…
How this city is mitigating autonomous vehicle risk
March 5, 2019 Ramesh Santanam - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPITTSBURGH – Companies testing autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh will have to immediately report crashes resulting in any injuries as part of new guidelines announced Monday intended to boost public confidence in the testing after a deadly accident in Arizona last…
One simple way to reduce the severity of barn fires
March 4, 2019 by Jason ContantEnhancing building codes to include early detection systems could help generate a faster response in the case of farm fires, said Ken Worsley, who leads Cowan Insurance Group’s national agri-commercial industry practice. Early response systems include things like heat, fire…
This province could see major spring flooding
March 1, 2019 by Jason ContantTen years after serious flooding in much of the southern part of Manitoba, there is again a high risk of major spring flooding in the province’s Red River Valley region. “Early forecasting data shows that we expect to see major…
Why less is better for digital transformation
March 1, 2019 by Jason ContantCompanies looking to undergo a digital transformation should follow the expression “more is not always better” when it comes to selecting system integrators and vendors, a speaker said Wednesday at the Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference in Toronto. During the transformation process,…
One politician’s idea for reducing the severity of school bus crashes
March 1, 2019 by Greg MeckbachSeatbelts with shoulder harnesses should be mandatory on all school buses, an opposition member of Ontario’s provincial parliament told Canadian Underwriter Friday. “We should have the use of three-point seat belts on school buses to prevent injury and even death,”…
Why some homeowners aren’t buying flood insurance
March 1, 2019 by Greg MeckbachOverland flood insurance might be easier to sell if homeowners could figure out how vulnerable their properties are. “What would be most useful for homeowners is they would be able to search their postal code or property address and be…
The new, darker social engineering threat
February 28, 2019 by Jason ContantNeed another reason to convince your clients to take a look at cyber insurance? One good starting point is keeping them informed on the latest cyber threats. One such risk is a new, darker strain of social engineering called “sextortion”…
What this insurer did to address IFRS 17 requirements
February 27, 2019 by David GambrillSSQ Insurance has partnered with analytics firm SAS to help further their efforts towards IFRS 17 compliance. The new International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS 17) standardizes reporting requirements for financial firms internationally, with the intent to improve financial transparency. But…