Political battle over public v. private ride-sharing insurance in B.C.
November 21, 2018 by Jason ContantThe Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is prepared to offer a blanket, usage-based insurance product, likely by next fall, if proposed legislation on ride-hailing passes before Christmas, as anticipated by the Premier, according to published reports. However, the leader…
Limo service sued over collision that killed 20
November 20, 2018 THE ASSOCIATED PRESSALBANY, N.Y. – The operators of a limousine that crashed and killed 20 people in upstate New York were grossly negligent in putting the “dangerous and defective” vehicle on the road, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by one of…
Company calls for tow truck operator training standards
November 14, 2018 by Greg MeckbachTow truck drivers should not be allowed to hook up and haul vehicles damaged in collisions without some sort of certification above and beyond a driver’s licence, says CAA South Central Ontario. “If you have a Class G driver’s licence,…
Hub acquires two western-Canadian brokerages
November 9, 2018 by Jason ContantGlobal insurance brokerage Hub International announced this week it has acquired the assets of two western-Canadian brokerages. Hub acquired on Wednesday the assets of Tri-Line Agencies Inc., a full-service, independent brokerage headquartered in Rose Valley, Sask. Tri-Line Agencies offers personal…
Navacord continues to expand its construction practice with latest partnership
November 5, 2018 by Jason ContantEffective Nov. 1, commercial brokerage Navacord Corp. continued to expand its construction practice with the addition of Westmount Guarantee Services Inc. as a broker partner. Founded in 2011, Markham, Ont.-based Westmount Guarantee provides Tarion bonds (developers’ surety), condominium deposit insurance…
Direct damage coverage available for cannabis product movement
November 2, 2018 by Jason ContantA United States-based underwriter of marine cargo coverage has entered the Canadian cannabis market with a product that provides direct damage coverage to goods moving through the supply chain. North Kingstown, RI-headquartered Falvey Cargo Underwriting, which has a Canadian office…
Nearly 99% of Canadians do not purchase travel medical insurance for short trips
November 1, 2018 by Jason ContantAlmost 99% of Canadians who take one or two-day trips don’t purchase travel medical insurance, Allianz Global Assistance Canada (AGAC) said recently. Data show less than 1.4% of single trip medical policies purchased through its various distribution channels are for…
Bank of Canada raises interest rate, signals future hikes
October 24, 2018 Andy Blatchford - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – The Bank of Canada raised its trend-setting interest rate Wednesday and sent signals that future hikes could be upon Canadians sooner than previously expected. With a big source of trade uncertainty finally out of the way, the central…
Saskatchewan commercial brokerage joins Navacord
October 9, 2018 by Greg MeckbachCommercial brokerage Henderson Insurance Inc. will become Navacord Corp.’s newest member effective Nov. 1, the companies announced Tuesday. With offices in Regina and Moose Jaw, Henderson is Navacord’s first broker partner in Saskatchewan. The terms of the partnership were not…
Irving oil explosion raises residential safety concerns
October 9, 2018 Hina Alam - THE CANADIAN PRESSOil refineries and other large industrial operations that are surrounded by residential communities need to work harder to ensure safety and protect their own bottom lines, multiple experts say. A massive refinery blast shook Saint John, N.B., on Monday, sending…
Is this the beginning of the end of a soft commercial market in Canada?
October 4, 2018 by Jason ContantThe commercial insurance market in Canada may be starting to see indications of premium rate hardening, Hub International Canada president Tina Osen told Canadian Underwriter recently. “It hasn’t all hit yet, so I want to be clear on that,” Osen…
How driverless vehicles may make crash injuries worse
October 1, 2018 by Jason ContantThe severity of some accidents may increase as vehicles become driverless, in part because driver orientation will change, a crash reconstructionist told Canadian Underwriter in an interview last week. Currently, drivers are sitting in their seats, properly belted with their…