Claims

Internet kills idea of an inconvenient place to defend your client: Judge

In the age of Zoom, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has essentially found that it doesn’t really matter in which jurisdiction you defend your clients in an arbitration hearing — it’s all part of the common cyber landscape now. Over many years, the courts have dealt with disputes concerning a legal principle known as […]

By David Gambrill | June 30, 2021

3 min read

Claims

How reinsurance prices could come down

Record-low interest rates are making insurance-linked securities attractive to some investors, and this could be good news for primary insurers. ILS includes but is not limited to catastrophe bonds, said Marcos Alvarez, Toronto-based senior vice president and head of insurance at DBRS Morningstar. “If investors put more capital into the ILS market, this could put […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 29, 2021

2 min read

Claims

Appeal court upholds $385,000 payment to Northbridge arising from accident benefits assignment

The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently ruled in favour of Northbridge Insurance in an auto liability claim that featured a dispute over how much of the plaintiff’s accident benefits should go to the liability insurer. Kossay El-Khodr was rear-ended while driving a tow truck. He sued and was awarded $2.85 million in 2015. At […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 28, 2021

4 min read

Claims

Tornado touchdown causes damage in midwestern Ontario

Environment Canada says that at least one tornado touched down late Saturday afternoon in midwestern Ontario. Agency meteorologist Brian Owsiak says that reports from the ground, as well as radar signatures, confirmed that a twister hit just east of Chatsworth, Ont. But he says a second one may have also touched down as a severe […]

By Jason Contant | June 28, 2021

1 min read

Who’s at fault in this duel for street parking?

In a territorial battle for street parking involving sneakiness and deception, a B.C. driver lost his bid to recover his increased auto insurance premium following a minor collision — even though he managed to shift half of the fault over to the other driver. Originally, Wally Henkel, owner of Henkel Construction Ltd., was found 100% […]

4 min read

These highway features may encourage distracted driving

Medians and wide shoulders on highways could encourage distracted driving by giving drivers a false sense of security, transportation researchers suggest in a recent paper. “The combination and presence of a shoulder, median, higher speed limit, and extra lanes could encourage more phone use while driving,” the Texas A&M Transportation Institute said in a press […]

3 min read

UFO sightings: Are your clients covered for an alien invasion?

Recent talk about UFOs during the pandemic has caused the most conspiratorial among us to wonder if Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry is prepared for the most secretive of risks: An alien invasion of Earth. Film footage has emerged of three shiny green pyramids flying above the U.S.S. Russell near San Diego, California – […]

5 min read

Here’s what can go wrong if you give away a salvage vehicle

A couple who thought they received a written-off camper trailer as a gift are entitled to some compensation for repairs they made before the registered owner came to retrieve the vehicle, a Newfoundland and Labrador court has ruled. Sherry Drake is the registered owner of a 32-foot camper trailer. A man with whom Drake was […]

3 min read

Reservoir to protect Calgary from floods gets approval

EDMONTON – The Natural Resources Conservation Board has approved a controversial reservoir that could protect Calgary from future flooding, ruling that it’s in the public interest. Alberta Transportation proposed the $432-million off-stream reservoir near the rural community of Springbank, Alta., which is west and upstream of Calgary. The project, which would divert water from the […]

1 min read

Global insurance law firm expands its Canadian presence

Global insurance law firm Clyde & Co will be entering the B.C. market through a merger with SHK Law Corporation in B.C., effective July 1. The terms of the merger were not disclosed. B.C.’s property and casualty insurance market is the fourth-largest insurance market in Canada, accounting for more than $6.7 billion in direct premiums […]

2 min read