High Impact Ahead
May 1, 2000 Sean van Zyl, EditorWith the growth of property and casualty insurance industry earnings having plummeted to almost a 20-year low on the back of poor investment returns and intense rate competition — which saw last year’s annual rate of premium growth clock in…
THE AIR OUT OF THE BAG
May 1, 2000 Vikki SpencerAirbags recovered from written-off vehicles will be used for collision repairs in British Columbia, likely before the end of the year, says a researcher at the province’s public insurance organization. The decision follows testing on salvaged airbags conducted by the…
Auto Repair Perspective: Work For, Not Against
May 1, 2000 John Norris, executive director of the Hamilton District AutobodThe world of repair shops and front-line collision damage appraisers is very different to that of the corporate insurance industry. A closer understanding of the challenges faced by both sides is clearly needed. In fact, with both bodyshops and insurers…
Maximizing Auto Claims
May 1, 2000 Roch Lacroix, vice president of Mitchell International CanadaAuto physical damage claims (APDs) represent a significant portion of claim costs for most insurers dealing in personal lines business. But, should this area of claims management be simply seen as the “dark evil” of being in the business, or…
Aftermarket Auto Parts: Shifting Gears
May 1, 2000 David CarrLegal action against insurance companies in the U.S. for alleged unauthorized use of aftermarket parts in vehicle repair have bubbled up into Canada. Within months of a successful $1.2 billion class action in Illinois against State Farm Insurance, similar suits…
Regulators circling THE ADJUSTERS
March 1, 2000 Lowell ConnHarmonization efforts on the east coast have not gone unnoticed by regulators nationwide, with most provincial legislators carefully watching Insurance Act rewrites across the country in an effort for more standardized rules and regulations. Most recently, the regulatory sights have…
The Political Lobbying War Heats UP
March 1, 2000 Sean van ZylControl over the distribution of insurance products is once again back on the property and casualty insurance industry’s radar screen as the federal government’s proposed white paper on financial services competition is set to go forward before parliament for legislative…
Developing niche lines of business: The garage sale closed
March 1, 2000 by Lowell ConnWhen the “garage sale” begins and market players undercut one another, nowhere is the reverberations felt any stronger than the specialty lines business. Niche operators want the message to be clear: “Stay out of out of our business”. More to…
Car thefts Top Cop
March 1, 2000 Lowell ConnTen years ago, auto theft was not big business organized crime that it has become today. About 97% of stolen cars were recovered then. Today, that figure has dropped to 60%. Some attribute the change to a more organized crime…
Coming Events (March 01, 2000)
March 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterAnnouncements in Coming Events are run free of charge as a service to the industry. Items should be submitted by the first of the month prior to the month in which the announcement is to appear. Toronto Insurance Women’s Association:…
Registry goes ONLINE
February 1, 2000 Lowell ConnThe North American Export Committee (NAEC) brought car theft stakeholders together to discuss the crisis on a continent-wide level. Canadian insurers, though, continue to do battle with car thieves on this side of the border, relying on a variety of…
Learning From the Masters
January 1, 2000 Lowell ConnThe independent adjuster faces an array of challenges in the year ahead, concedes new Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association (OIAA) president Christina Welton. Greater regulatory scrutiny on licensing, a pending court case that could introduce more liability for claims professionals, and…