Claims

Top court asked to create “new law” in waiver case involving insurer’s flip-flop on coverage

Canadian law on estoppel or waiver could change if the Supreme Court of Canada rules against RSA in Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia v. Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada, a Vancouver-based insurance lawyer suggested Tuesday. Estoppel can happen when a carrier tells the client it will not enforce part of the […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 14, 2021

5 min read

Claims

Doubled pricing, two-year recovery predicted for cyber lines, post-COVID

Brokers can foresee cyber pricing doubling over the next year — and it could take up to two years after the pandemic is over before the market shows signs of softening again. “I think the price has to reflect the reality of the risk, and right now the reality of that risk seems to be […]

By David Gambrill | July 13, 2021

3 min read

Claims

Temple Insurance wins appeal in construction wrap-up dispute

Temple Insurance Company has won its appeal of a 2020 Court of Queen’s Bench of Saskatchewan ruling in a disputed construction wrap-up liability claim. Temple now has to pay some (but not all) of the legal defence costs incurred by four construction subcontractors in lawsuits filed in 2015 and 2017. Specifically Temple only has to […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 12, 2021

3 min read

Claims

Why delivery company is liable for damage to parked car

If a commercial auto client is accused of causing damage to a third-party vehicle, the client could be harming its legal position if it fails to produce a statement from its own driver. United Parcel Service Canada Ltd. is on the hook for nearly $800 after Kurt Kolb alleged that a UPS truck damaged his […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 9, 2021

3 min read

Elsa’s forecasted impact on the Maritimes

Tropical Storm Elsa is tracking to hit the Maritimes this weekend as a post-tropical storm, potentially dumping up to 50 mm of rain in areas of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Currently hitting the Gulf Coast of Florida, Elsa at times has packed high enough winds to register as a Category 1 […]

2 min read

Why your clients’ basements will probably leak eventually

Homeowner clients are battling the elements just by living below the ground floor, and so they will need to act quickly if they notice water pooling in their basement, a building supply vendor suggests. “Creating a comfortable living space in a basement can be a challenge because you’re basically attempting to stay dry in a […]

2 min read

5 reasons why fire sprinklers fail, and what your clients can do about it

Building renovations are among five common reasons for fire sprinkler failure, according to Diana Rodriguez-Zaba, a partner for ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba, in a recent article on TheBigRedGuide.com. Typical renovation incidents that can cause failure include collisions with construction equipment, or displacement or disturbance of the fire sprinklers, Rodriguez-Zaba wrote in Fire Sprinkler Failures In […]

2 min read

Lytton fire raises questions about possible subrogation

As the British Columbia Wildfire Service works with the RCMP to investigate the cause of a fire last week that burned down 90% of the village of Lytton, preliminary reports that the fire originated in the town — and not because of surrounding wildfires — have claims professionals discussing the possibility of subrogation claims being […]

3 min read

Restaurant fires and how they are caused

Kitchen exhaust and gas connections should be near the top of a restaurant client’s risk management agenda. Improperly maintained kitchen exhaust systems are a common cause of restaurant fires, wrote Larry Anderson, editor of TheBigRedGuide.com, in a recent article. This is because grease can accumulate in kitchen exhaust systems, Anderson suggested in Preventing Restaurant Fires […]

2 min read