Ready, Set, Go
October 1, 2013 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorChris Floyd, president-elect of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario, advises brokers to be ready for technology, both as a means to address emerging issues and to enhance service.
Close to Home
October 1, 2013 Ryan Michel, Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, Enterprise Risk Management, Allstate CanadaCondo unit owners may be unwittingly risking their homes. A lack of understanding about home insurance policies can cause homeowners to be under-insured, a situation that should be top of mind for leaders in the industry.
Restoring value
October 1, 2013 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorAs homeowners put more money into their basements, including equipping these spaces with finer finishes and electronics, water damage is becoming more expensive. Restoration contractors, however, say that if they can get to a property soon enough, most damage can be repaired and heavy losses avoided.
No Substitute for Experience
September 30, 2013 Craig HarrisExpertise is not a commodity, according to Bob Phipps and John Powell of Bannatyne & Company General Loss Adjusters in Hamilton. It instead forms the competitive model for this five-adjuster team.
Deluge
July 31, 2013 Craig HarrisIndependent adjusters experienced a surge of claims from record flooding in Southern Alberta and the Greater Toronto Area in late June and early July. The losses from epic flood-related damage to personal and commercial property will represent the costliest natural disaster in Canada.
Rethinking the Retrofit
July 31, 2013 Jason GuihanWho pays for damages caused by ill-conceived home/building energy retrofits?
Plains Worry
July 1, 2013 Angela Stelmakowich, EditorIt is too early to put firm numbers to the hard reality delivered by heavy rain that produced what some suggest is the worst flooding ever in southern Alberta. The lack of numbers, though, has not dampened calls over the need to make changes.
Skill set
May 1, 2013 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorThe Ontario College of Trades will soon start enforcing provincial rules requiring certificates of qualification for dozens of skilled occupations, including auto body professionals. One auto carrier suggests the move will help raise the standard of technicians’ skills, but critics contend existing licensing, professional standards and inspection regimes are sufficient and the new enforcement layer will spur higher claims cost.
Piece by piece
April 1, 2013 Angela Stelmakowich, EditorAll the king’s horses and all the king’s men… It may not be as dire as an egg taking a tumble off a wall, but the current state of Canada’s municipal infrastructure is unlikely to end up happily ever after…
Storm Watch
January 1, 2013 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorInsurers in Canada have seen thousands of wind and rain damage claims, along with a few for business interruption, in the wake of the storm that followed Hurricane Sandy. Losses, however, appear not to be as severe as originally envisioned.
Constructing Liability
January 1, 2013 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorA Supreme Court of Canada decision that explored how a poorly built home can be construed as an accident, rejecting an insurer’s claim from construction contractors who blamed defective work on subcontractors, remains relevant today.
CarProof Vehicle History Reports offers free flood damage reports after Hurricane Sandy
December 1, 2012 byCarProof Vehicle History Reports is offering a free flood damage check on its website so that individuals thinking about buying a used car from the United States can check for water damage, including as a result of Superstorm Sandy. After…