Claims

How a $395 gadget can prevent a $43,000 flood claim

Amid a wave of sump pumps, backwater valves and other methods designed to keep home basements dry comes a new, simple way to mitigate flood risk – an e-sensor. George Tsintzouras, CEO and co-founder of Canadian water tech company Alert Labs, became interested in creating such devices based on a bad experience he remembers as […]

By David Gambrill | July 16, 2018

2 min read

Claims

Dozens of forest fires continue in northern Ontario

TORONTO – The mayor of a northern Ontario community says residents have been allowed to return to homes they were forced to leave earlier this week as forest fires burned nearby. But Lorie Hunter, the mayor of Temagami, Ont., says there are still 19 active forest fires near the community and residents know they could […]

By Canadian Underwriter | July 13, 2018

1 min read

Claims

Cyber catastrophe bonds: Coming soon?

With computer security incidents causing business interruption and privacy breaches, there is a “very real possibility” that a catastrophe bond covering cyber risk might be available, the head of a cyber risk modelling vendor predicts. Catastrophe bonds are a form of insurance-linked securities (ILS) that allow pension funds and institutional investors to bet some of […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 13, 2018

2 min read

Claims

End of the line for auto injury lawsuit over restaurant tip income

A former restaurant server who sought a $3.8-million award after being hit by a car has lost her bid to have her lawsuit heard by the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada announced Thursday it has dismissed Kimberly Isbister’s application for leave to appeal Isbister v. Delong, released in 2017 by the […]

By Greg Meckbach | July 13, 2018

2 min read

Tobacco liability threat faces major convenience store chain and gas stations

The Canadian corporate owner of nearly 13,000 convenience stores and gas stations is warning it could be sued as a result of selling cigarettes. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. “could be sued for health problems caused by the use of tobacco products,” Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard said recently in a securities filing. Couche-Tard, a ubiquitous convenience store brand […]

3 min read

Tips for brokers on insuring high-value homes

High-value homes are good for business, knowing how to rate them properly is a must. Brokers need to be aware that high-value, custom-built homes or renovations should not be put on Standard Build when determining insurance to value, a broker told Canadian Underwriter Thursday. Ivor Shanks, a senior insurance broker with Central Agencies Ltd. in […]

3 min read

‘Potential risk’ to Toronto area prompts increased police presence

Information about a “potential risk” in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) led to an increase in police presence in Toronto’s downtown core on Thursday, but officers insisted the public should not avoid any of the city’s attractions, prompting confusion among some and anxiety in others. Police would not specify what information they had received, or […]

3 min read

What the court said about a family law approach to “spouse” in auto AB claim

The meaning of the term “spouse” under the Family Law Act is not applicable when determining eligibility for accident benefits under an auto insurance policy, an Ontario court has ruled in a priority dispute between insurers. In Royal & Sun Alliance v. Desjardins/Certas, the Superior Court of Justice for Ontario overturned the decision of an […]

2 min read

One tip you can offer clients to help prevent basement flooding

Do your home insurance clients ever look at their sump pumps? A homeowner may have a sump pump and not realize that the motor has seized up or that the circuit breaker has tripped. To be on the safe side, if a homeowner has a basement with a sump pump, the owner should check it […]

3 min read

Chemical spills from 1960s cost property owner $2 million

An Ottawa drycleaner has to pay a neighbouring property owner nearly $2 million because of environmental contamination that happened more than 40 years ago. Eddy Huang, who owns properties on Bank Street north of the Billings Bridge, sued drycleaner Fraser Hillary’s Limited as well as David Hillary, who has owned the dry cleaner since 1971. […]

2 min read