Claims

This Nissan seatbelt lawsuit will have more than 100 witnesses

Vehicle manufacturer Nissan is facing a lawsuit in British Columbia over rear seatbelts, in a case that demonstrates how legal defence costs can multiply in a hurry. The plaintiff, Arshdeep Singh Sidhu, was nine years old in 2008 when he was severely disabled as a result of a motor vehicle accident. He was riding in […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 24, 2020

4 min read

Claims

Auto total loss claims escalate after Calgary hail storm: IBC

The industry is expecting well over 20,000 claims from the recent Alberta hail storm, and some vehicles were wrecked badly enough that they have to be written off, the Insurance Bureau of Canada reports. “We are hearing from several consumers who are indicating that their vehicle is a total loss,” Rob De Pruis, IBC’s director […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 24, 2020

3 min read

Claims

How this motorist missed out on his senior’s discount

When a British Columbia motorist turned 65 in 2017, he did not immediately get the senior rate class discount, so he tried to sue the public auto insurer for a refund. But the province’s Civil Resolution Tribunal ruled in favour of the insurer in its recent decision in Whyte v. ICBC. ‘Senior’ is no longer […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 24, 2020

3 min read

Claims

Toronto officer now allegedly linked to illegal tow truck scheme

TORONTO – A Toronto police officer arrested last week in the theft of a police radio has now allegedly been linked to an illegal operation benefiting the tow truck industry. Toronto police said Monday that 11 people, including 47-year-old Const. Ronald Joseph, are facing more than 50 charges in an investigation involving corruption and organized […]

By Greg Meckbach | June 24, 2020

2 min read

How Alberta brokers are faring with hail claims

Brokers with clients in northeast Calgary are getting overwhelmed with claims from the June 13 storm, a board member of the province’s association says. “You can just hear the exasperation in their voice when you talk to them, and the stress, and they would probably have dealt with hundreds and hundreds of claims for their […]

2 min read

One indirect way for brokerages to protect their receivables during the pandemic

On the heels of an ominous Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey last month that shows 12% of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses owners are considering bankruptcy or winding down their business because of COVID-19, brokerages can protect their own receivables by protecting the receivables of their clients, says a credit insurance expert. Receivables insurance […]

By Adam Malik | June 23, 2020

3 min read

How pandemic could complicate claims adjusting after Alberta hail storm

The COVID-19 pandemic could complicate the movement of adjusters if help is needed from south of the border to deal with the aftermath of the recent southern Alberta storm. “I think customers by and large are recognizing that it’s complicated to bring anyone up from the United States,” said Walter Waugh, vice president of operations […]

3 min read

Why waivers won’t necessarily protect clients from COVID-19 liability

Waivers of liability for disease transmission might protect commercial clients from lawsuits, but the industry will not know for sure until one is tested in an appeal court, a litigation defence lawyer suggests. A waiver will not, on its own, protect a client from liability, said John Olah, a partner with law firm Beard Winter […]

3 min read

How this fumbled washing machine installation led to $54,000 basement flood

For want of a wrench, the basement was lost. This would be one way of summing up the Provincial Court of Alberta’s ruling in Kuerbis v Broderson, which should provide food for thought to brokers placing coverage for commercial clients who deliver washing machines to homes and also install them. In Kuerbis, Justice Paul Pharo […]

3 min read

Calgary hail damage ‘pretty startling’ to this adjuster

If you have clients in the Calgary area who suffered property damage in the June 13 hail storm, they could be waiting a while to get their properties repaired, an executive for one independent adjusting firm suggests. “There are tens of thousands of residences impacted and there is simply is not enough capacity to engage […]

2 min read