Claims

How tech is helping insurers mitigate equipment breakdown losses

The use of drones has accelerated some loss control operations in equipment breakdown insurance, but there are pros and cons to using these technology advancements says Doug Laurin, Director, National Energy & Equipment Breakdown at Intact. A benefit is that some technological advancements can be particularly useful for identifying potential breakdowns ahead of time. For […]

By Alyssa DiSabatino | August 17, 2022

2 min read

Claims

Court orders Travelers to defend “your work” exclusion case in Quebec

Quebec’s Court of Appeal has rejected Traveler’s challenge of a Wellington-style motion that requires the insurer to defend a construction contractor in a “your work” exclusion case against Quebec’s attorney general. The appeal court also rejected Tuesday Traveler’s motion to cross-appeal, which, if successful, would have required Aviva Canada and Royal & SunAlliance (now owned […]

By David Gambrill | August 17, 2022

3 min read

Claims

Deloitte report: How microeconomic factors will impact claims costs

Yes, overall inflation is high. One trip to the grocery store demonstrates that faster than a macroeconomics refresher lecture. So will a glance at Canada’s June 2022 Consumer Price Index, which jumped 8.1% over the prior year to mark its highest increase in 40 years – before cooling slightly to 7.6% in July. But for […]

By Phil | August 17, 2022

2 min read

Claims

Symptom validity test of auto victim upheld by doctor’s professional review board

Ontario’s overseer of medical health professionals has rejected a car accident victim’s complaint about an independent medical examiner selected by the auto insurer over the psychologist’s use of symptom validity testing. At the request of his insurer, the claimant saw Ontario psychologist Ian Smith after the claimant was involved in a motor vehicle accident on […]

By David Gambrill | August 16, 2022

3 min read

Why Deloitte doesn’t anticipate a soft market ‘for the next few years’

Canada’s commercial P&C insurance market may not soften “for the next few years,” said a report on the industry published by Deloitte. “While there may be products where the market becomes more competitive on new business with good claims experience, the experts we interviewed observed that underwriters are continuing to scrutinize submission quality, risk characteristics, […]

2 min read

Client anger: It’s getting tough out there for insurers

Saskatchewan’s privacy officer has allowed the government’s auto insurer to withhold portions of a claimant’s risk assessment, on the basis that revealing the information could conceivably lead to injury or harm to its employees. However, the privacy commissioner required Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) to turn over portions of the documents in which his claim is […]

3 min read

Why extended hard market should be easier to explain to consumers

Consumers should be able to relate to inflation’s impact on goods and services — and hence, the impact on insurers’ claims costs — making it easier for brokers to explain the continuation of the P&C industry’s hard market cycle after the pandemic, Aviva Canada’s CEO Jason Storah suggested to Canadian Underwriter Wednesday. “I would like […]

3 min read

Where Aviva thinks insurers are feeling inflation’s impact most acutely

Inflation is wreaking havoc in all major lines of P&C insurance, but its effects seem to be most acute in auto insurance, particularly auto physical damage, reports Aviva Canada CEO Jason Storah. “The most acute impact we’ve seen so far in the P&C industry is on the auto side,” Storah told Canadian Underwriter during a […]

3 min read

Why the basics count in construction loss prevention

Inflated materials costs, and a need for brokers and insurers to see to it that valuations for commercial structures closely track replacement costs, are frequently mentioned in conversations about risks for the building sector these days. But site safety is also a major concern and shouldn’t be overlooked, said Steve Schmelzle, practice leader, construction and […]

By Phil | August 9, 2022

2 min read

Newfoundland’s largest wildfire in 60 years: what the P&C industry needs to know

A long-burning forest fire in Newfoundland has charred over 10,800 hectares, but one claims professional says they’ve yet to see any claims come through, since the affected areas are not densely populated. The fire has been burning for close to two weeks in central Newfoundland and has prompted road closures to the Bay d’Espoir Highway, […]

2 min read