CU Total Loss Series: Where are the bottlenecks?
May 13, 2019 by David GambrillTotal Loss Series, Part 2: Bottlenecks Imagine Canada’s auto insurance industry saving millions of dollars each year in total loss costs and passing that along to Canadian drivers in the form of premium decreases. And all by simply reducing total…
New judge represented Insurance Bureau at Supreme Court of Canada
May 9, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA lawyer who represented the Insurance Bureau of Canada at the Supreme Court of Canada in impaired driving cases as been appointed to the bench. Stikeman Elliott LLP partner Nicholas McHaffie was named a Federal Court of Canada judge and…
A major risk factor in children being hit by cars
May 8, 2019 Paola Loriggio - THE CANADIAN PRESSA new study suggests children from poorer areas of Ontario face a greater risk of getting hit by vehicles than those from wealthier areas, possibly because they are more likely to walk to school alone. The study – conducted by…
Why it’s ‘time to stop talking’ about the Marshall report
May 6, 2019 by Greg MeckbachTwo years after David Marshall released 30 recommendations for reforming auto insurance in Ontario, it’s time to focus on what the current government is actually proposing, a consultant suggests. “I think it’s time to stop talking about Marshall and focus…
An explainer on the Ontario government’s move to review highway speed limits
May 6, 2019 Adam Burns - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Ontario’s government plans to launch a review of speed limits on provincial highways, with the transportation minister musing that some of those roads can safely handle traffic at 120 kilometres per hour. Here’s a look at the context…
Is Ontario about to see electronic pink slips?
May 3, 2019 by Jason ContantIs electronic proof of auto insurance (EPAI) just around the corner in Ontario? Industry scuttlebutt is that the new Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) will allow the use of EPAI this summer, possibly as early as June. Canadian…
Why this claimant cannot sue over auto collision
May 2, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA motorist should have known he was listed by his insurer as an excluded driver, an Ontario court has ruled. Johnathon Trudeau filed a lawsuit against David Cavanagh as a result of a 2013 vehicle collision in Espanola. Trudeau also…
Ontario’s ‘most encouraging statement about auto insurance’ in 35 years
April 30, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe recent Ontario budget document is giving some insurers hope that the government will actually fix the province’s auto insurance system. “Many people have said that the comprehensive package contained in the budget is frankly the most encouraging statement about…
Why the court says this auto insurer did not properly terminate policy
April 30, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAn auto insurance company cannot necessarily treat a policy as invalid under common law if it discovers the client made a material misrepresentation on the application, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has ruled. In Merino v. ING Insurance Company…
Supreme Court to consider insurer’s medical examiner defamation suit against lawyer
April 26, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA $15-million defamation lawsuit by a doctor who examines accident benefits claims on behalf of auto insurers is headed to the Supreme Court of Canada. The top court announced Thursday it will hear an appeal of Platnick v. Bent, released Aug.…
Proposed auto reforms in Newfoundland ‘don’t go far enough’: IBC
April 25, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf the Newfoundland and Labrador government increases the deductible for pain and suffering awards in auto accident lawsuits, a reduction in claims costs will not necessarily follow, says the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CEO. Newfoundland and Labrador has had a…
One key ingredient missing from this province’s auto reform proposals
April 24, 2019 by David GambrillNewfoundland & Labrador has introduced a slew of changes intended to help stabilize insurance rates – and a cap on minor injuries, implemented in many other Canadian provinces, isn’t one of them. Instead, the provincial government is proposing to raise…