Canadian Underwriter


News Technology

These three work tasks make the most sense to automate

February 26, 2019 by Jason Contant

If you’re looking to automate at your brokerage or insurance company, scrutinize specific tasks, not entire jobs, recommends a blog from Harvard Business Review. There are three fundamental work characteristics that lend themselves to automation: Repetitive vs. variable work –

News Legislation / RegulationRestoration

How fatal Nova Scotia fire could change national building code

February 25, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESS

HALIFAX – Experts say the deaths of the seven Barho children in a ferocious Halifax house fire last week could lead to new fire safety measures and changes to the country’s building code. Phil Rizcallah, director for construction research and

News InsuranceTechnology

How Zurich can use AI to reduce a broker’s E&O exposure

February 25, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

A Toronto-based artificial intelligence (AI) vendor is working with Zurich Canada to reduce errors and omissions risk in commercial insurance policies. Often commercial policies have dozens of pages with several endorsements, which someone needs to read for accuracy before the

News ClaimsInsuranceMarkets / Coverages

The latest way cyber-criminals are attacking your clients

February 25, 2019 by Jason Contant

Cyber criminals are adapting their methods by using ransomware in targeted extortions, often with more severe and costly results than indiscriminate attacks. Targeted extortion is when cyber criminals set their sights on a particular, vulnerable organization and look to extort

News Commercial LinesInsuranceTechnology

What the commercial underwriter of the future might look like

February 22, 2019 by Jason Contant

Commercial underwriting in the future may expand to encourage more cross-functional and hybrid responsibilities, potentially with engineering, claims, finance or operations, according to a new report from McKinsey & Company’s insurance practice. “To attract younger talent, companies need to recognize

News InsuranceLegal

How landmark voyeurism ruling impacts insurers

February 22, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

If your client is sued for breach of privacy, the judge could look to last week’s voyeurism ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada for guidance, a privacy lawyer suggests. In R. v. Jarvis, released Feb. 14, the Supreme Court

News CatastrophesClaimsLegal

Next step for $2-billion building collapse lawsuit against Loblaws

February 21, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

A $2-billion class-action lawsuit against Canada’s largest food retailer could reach the Supreme Court of Canada. The bodily injury lawsuit against Loblaw Companies Limited was filed in 2015 in Ontario by victims of a 2013 commercial building collapse in Bangladesh.

News Insurance

What can happen if client fails to insure valuable shipment

February 20, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESS

HALIFAX – A top Canadian naval officer is out 50 rare coins he valued at $38,000 with little to show for it, after a Nova Scotia small claims court found FedEx Canada not liable for the full value of his

News BrokersInsurance

NFP Corp acquires Ontario P&C brokerage

February 20, 2019 by David Gambrill

NFP Corp., a global insurance brokerage and consultant, has acquired Ontario-based property and casualty brokers Mass Insurance Brokers Limited and Easyway Insurance Brokers Inc (collectively known as Mass). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. NFP announced the deal, which

News ClaimsInsurance

400 plus vehicles written off since acid spill on B.C. highway last year: ICBC

February 19, 2019 THE CANADIAN PRESS

TRAIL, B.C. – British Columbia’s public auto insurer says about 450 vehicles have been written off since sulphuric acid spilled along a busy commuter route near Trail, B.C., in two incidents last spring. The Insurance Corp. of B.C. says there

News InsuranceMarkets / Coverages

Captive insurance programs target commercial auto in Canada

February 15, 2019 by Jason Contant

eCaptiv, which provides alternative and captive insurance solutions in Canada and the United States, will be forming two group captives through an exclusive group of independent insurance brokers to “combat commercial auto trends in Canada.” The programs are in the

News InsuranceMergers and AqcuisitionsTechnology

Opta acquires getClarity: linking property and risk data with consumer profiles

February 14, 2019 by David Gambrill

With its recent acquisition of getClarity, Opta Information Intelligence is expanding into the area of customer and prospect behaviour. Opta is Canada’s largest property data aggregator and a provider of risk intelligence and loss control services. Its solutions include iClarify