Claims

The challenges of assessing seasonal home damage

Despite being told flooding in Ontario’s Cottage Country back in 2013 was one-in-100-years event, area businesses and residents are cleaning up from a second and more widespread flooding incident in less than a decade. Climate is playing a key role in flooding and it’s forcing everyone from adjusters to restoration companies to adjust their approach […]

By Adam Malik | May 13, 2019

2 min read

Claims

Canadian companies paying high cybercrime bills

Malicious insiders and malware attacks are costing Canadian companies. New research from global professional services company Accenture and data protection research firm Ponemon Institute pegged the average cost of cybercrime to a Canadian company at more than $12 million in 2018. Malware and people-based cyberattacks, like phishing and social engineering, were most to blame, according […]

By Adam Malik | May 13, 2019

2 min read

Claims

What’s affecting B.C. wildfire risk this year

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The BC Wildfire Service has come through its busiest period of the young 2019 wildfire season, responding to several blazes, including one that prompted an evacuation order west of Prince George. Weather has been unseasonably warm in the province, but wildfire service spokesman Kevin Skrepnek said they believe fire conditions will improve. […]

By Greg Meckbach | May 13, 2019

2 min read

Claims

How much will the eastern Canada flooding cost?

Total economic losses from the recent flooding in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick are expected minimally to reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars (U.S.), Aon’s latest catastrophe report said. The flooding event has already been declared a catastrophe event, meaning at least $25 million in insured damage, Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) […]

By Jason Contant | May 10, 2019

2 min read

Waters to rise again in Ottawa area, even as N.B. turns to flood recovery mode

Water levels are expected to rise again this weekend between Ottawa and Montreal, even as New Brunswick’s floods are effectively over. Officials warned late Thursday that “significant” rainfall is expected to raise water levels in the Ottawa/Gatineau area down to Montreal, although they aren’t expected to exceed the previous highs of earlier this spring. Water […]

2 min read

What’s closed in Victoria after commercial fire

VICTORIA, B.C. – Days after flames tore through a vacant hotel in Victoria, one man is still missing and smoke lingers, forcing the closure of city hall and several other businesses. The fire in the former Victoria Plaza Hotel has also forced the closure of Government Street, a main route through the city, while firefighters […]

2 min read

How should employers treat recreational marijuana use?

Employers should treat marijuana use in the workplace as they would alcohol use, a senior claims professional told Canadian Underwriter Monday. “All of the liability still exists,” said Heather Matthews, senior vice president of Crawford & Company (Canada)’s National Claims Management Centre. “As that employer, you are vicariously liable for your employee.” Matthews spoke to […]

2 min read

New judge represented Insurance Bureau at Supreme Court of Canada

A lawyer who represented the Insurance Bureau of Canada at the Supreme Court of Canada in impaired driving cases as been appointed to the bench. Stikeman Elliott LLP partner Nicholas McHaffie was named a Federal Court of Canada judge and a judge ex officio with the Federal Court of Appeal, the justice department announced May […]

4 min read

A major risk factor in children being hit by cars

A new study suggests children from poorer areas of Ontario face a greater risk of getting hit by vehicles than those from wealthier areas, possibly because they are more likely to walk to school alone. The study – conducted by researchers at Sick Kids hospital, York University and ICES, formerly known as the Institute for […]

3 min read

How kitty litter can impact insured property losses

While spring rains and thawing have caused overland flooding of Biblical proportions, drain backups are also the bane of some insurers’ existence. In multi-storey commercial and residential buildings, drain backups are the number one cause of damage, said Adam Bartman, co-founder of Reed Controls Inc., in an interview. “Very often we see cat litter and […]

3 min read