Claims

Employment lawyers on returning to work during and after the pandemic

TORONTO – As provinces begin the slow process of reopening their economies and people start returning to the workplace, questions abound about the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers in the aftermath of COVID-19. The Canadian Press asked two employment lawyers, Adam Savaglio, a partner at Scarfone Hawkins LLP, and Lior Samfiru of Samfiru […]

By Greg Meckbach | May 12, 2020

4 min read

Claims

Regulators to brokers: What is your cyber security plan?

What programs – if any – does your brokerage have in place to mitigate your own cyber risk? This is what your provincial regulator could be asking you, if they haven’t already. “If the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario knocks on your door for their audit, they are going to be asking questions about your […]

By Greg Meckbach | May 11, 2020

2 min read

Claims

Open roads: Driving “fast and furious” during the pandemic

Ontario Provincial Police caught two different drivers this past weekend going more than twice the speed limit on highways, part of a growing trend of dangerous driving on the open roads during the pandemic — and insurers are taking notice. One driver in Toronto was clocked at a whopping 308 km/h on the QEW highway, […]

By Adam Malik | May 11, 2020

4 min read

Claims

Fort McMurray homeowners clean up as insurance questions linger after flooding

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Cora Dion’s voice echoes as she films a video showing what’s left in the basement of her home in downtown Fort McMurray after several days of flood cleanup. The couch and chair are in the garbage. The beige carpet has been ripped up. The teal-painted drywall and wood panelling has been […]

By Greg Meckbach | May 11, 2020

4 min read

Does the winter tire discount make actuarial sense?

Winter tires may reduce collision risk, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into a reduction in insured losses for every book of business — especially if the snow tires give motorists a false sense of security. Canada’s fifth-largest insurer recently looked at its auto claims numbers in Nova Scotia, comparing vehicles with winter tires and those […]

3 min read

COVID BI coverage dispute lawsuit arises over ‘civil authority’ order clause

If a client temporarily closes his business because of a provincial order arising from COVID-19, does its business interruption kick in if the policy covers “damage caused by order of civil authority to retard or prevent a conflagration or other catastrophe?” The question could be put to an Ontario court in a coverage dispute lawsuit […]

3 min read

How B.C. is gradually reopening its economy

VICTORIA – British Columbia has reached the point in the COVID-19 pandemic where it will start a gradual reopening of the economy while also allowing social interactions between families, friends and communities to increase. The plan to restart the province begins with certain health services, retail outlets, restaurants, salons, museums and parks resuming some operations […]

3 min read

Opinion: Climate change isn’t pausing for the pandemic

As the insurance sector adjusts to respond to challenges related to the novel coronavirus, flood season in Canada is beginning. Today, residents in Fort McMurray, Alta., are returning to clean up their flooded homes and businesses on the anniversary of a wildfire four years ago that caused almost $3.8 billion in insured damage to the […]

4 min read

Dozens more die of COVID in Canada; Greyhound to shut down all service

TORONTO – Dozens more people in Canada have succumbed to COVID-19, authorities reported on Thursday, as one of the country’s major inter-city bus carriers announced it would be shutting down completely due to a precipitous drop in passengers forced by the pandemic. Of the new deaths, 48 were reported in Ontario, where 399 new cases […]

2 min read

Why Intact says most clients have no pandemic business interruption coverage

Fewer than 1% of the commercial property policies that Intact Financial Corp. writes should incur business interruption claims from the coronavirus pandemic, company officials suggested Wednesday. But the insurer has set aside more than $80 million to account for possible commercial claims specifically due to COVID-19. “We do have specialized programs where pandemic business interruption […]

3 min read