How cell phone records proved this insurer’s auto fraud case
September 26, 2018 by David GambrillCell phone records proved to be the deciding factor in an insurance fraud case in which a B.C. driver falsely claimed that his truck had been stolen. Parker Winterbottom, 22 at the time, reported to police in October 2011 that…
Some Canadian police forces question roadside marijuana testing devices
September 26, 2018 Laura Kane - THE CANADIAN PRESSVANCOUVER – Some Canadian police forces are hesitant to use a federally approved roadside test for marijuana impairment, raising questions about the Liberal government’s decision to give the devices the green light. Vancouver’s police department is among those that won’t…
Third spill of sulphuric acid reported in Trail, B.C.
September 24, 2018 The Canadian PressTRAIL, B.C. – The movement of sulphuric acid by truck through a southeastern British Columbia city has been halted while officials try to determine why there has been a third leak of the corrosive liquid in less than six months.…
This vehicle accident ‘speaks for itself’
September 22, 2018 by Greg MeckbachThe Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from a motorist found to be liable for a single-vehicle collision. Brad Gaebel was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Gordon Lipka, who lost control after moving to the…
Top 5 signs an insured may be committing address fraud
September 20, 2018 by Jason ContantThere are countless “red flags” that insurers should examine to help determine if a claimant is committing address fraud, an insurance defence lawyer said Tuesday at the Canadian Association of Special Investigation Units’ (CASIU) 2018 Fraud Conference in Toronto. Andrew…
The ‘Big Three’ indicators of address fraud
September 18, 2018 by Jason ContantInsurers looking to verify a claimant’s address should focus on bank, credit card and cellphone records, an insurance defence lawyer said Tuesday. Andrew Grayson, a lawyer specializing in insurance defence litigation with Regan Desjardins LLP, called those records the “Big…
Mitchell data confirms increased Canadian collision costs
September 17, 2018 by Jason ContantRecent data from Mitchell International seems to confirm what Canadian insurers have been saying: collision repair costs and severity potential is increasing. On Sept. 11, Mitchell released its Canada Collision Summary: Q2 2018 report. It includes Canada-specific data from body…
Insurer receives 3,000 vehicle damage claims after two sulphuric acid spills
September 16, 2018 by Jason ContantThe Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has received more than 3,000 claims from two sulphuric acid spills in April and May, the public insurer said Wednesday. The Canadian Press reported mining company Teck Resources as saying two spills of…
How to limit autonomous vehicle liability disputes
September 11, 2018 by Jason ContantLegislation on autonomous vehicles needs to be ironed out well in advance of these vehicles becoming mainstream to prevent insurance payout disputes before an injured party receives compensation, an insurance lawyer said recently. Jonathan Grnak, an insurance lawyer with Danson…
Judges disagree on whether this collision was a ‘true accident’
September 11, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA motorist who is being sued by his passenger after a single-vehicle accident wants his case heard by the Supreme Court of Canada. The issue at hand is whether the single-vehicle crash was a “true accident,” in which nobody can…
Where Canada should look for regulation on autonomous vehicles
September 10, 2018 by Jason ContantCanadian provinces seeking guidance on addressing liability issues of autonomous vehicles could look to the United Kingdom as an example, an insurance lawyer told Canadian Underwriter Friday. The UK has a bill in the reading stages that, if passed, would…
Summer storms in this Canadian region cost over $200 million in insured damage
September 6, 2018 by Jason ContantSummer storms across the Prairies have caused more than $200 million in insured damage so far this year. This brings total weather-related insured damage on the Prairies to $464 million since May 2017. The numbers from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification…