Views (July 01, 2004)

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is taking its “Rest up! Save your neck” program to New Brunswick this summer, with university students across the province educating drivers on proper headrest adjustment. Sixteen students will staff exhibits at community events throughout the province, teaching proper headrest adjustment and handing out brochures. The industry hopes the initiative will help take a bite out of the $4 billion spent annually to treat soft tissue injuries as a result of auto accidents.

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Crawford Adjusters Canada has been retained to handle claims resulting from Royal Bank’s technological problems early in June. The bank says it will reimburse certain fees and charges resulting from a processing disruption which affected its systems between May 31 and June 4. However, to handle special situations related to non-banking costs and losses suffered by clients or other financial institutions, the adjusting firm will step in.

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SIAA Canada has signed its newest master broker, Brokers Helping Brokers Alliance, and its founders, Rhodes & Williams Ltd. of Ottawa also join the SIAA network. BHB Alliance will cover eastern Ontario, and will help small to mid-size brokers obtain market access and support, says BHB president Cory Young. “Anything that we can do to strengthen the broker distribution channel also strengthens the communities in which we live.”

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CARSTAR Automotive Canada has set up a new collision repair financing program to allow drivers who do not want to file an accident claim to pay for their repairs, or to pay a high deductible, over time. “Although consumers still need to notify their insurer about an accident, sometimes filing the claim is not their best option,” says CARSTAR Canada CEO Sam Mercanti. “With our new program it works like any other financing program and we are offering low monthly rates, competitive interest rates and no down payment.” The system will benefit insurers, he says, as they will know repairs are done by an established repair facility and backed by a lifetime guarantee.

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Swiss Reinsurance Company Canada recently endured pristine weather at its annual June golf tournament and dinner at Woodington Lake Golf Club in Tottenham, Ontario. Dozens of insurance and reinsurance industry guests were in attendance to enjoy the day which was organized by Swiss Re’s Rob Mittertreiner.

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Dozens of reinsurance and insurance executives recently played in and sponsored the 12th Annual Erinoak Charity Golf Tournament. The industry’s support of Erinoak began with the sudden passing of reinsurance executive Kerry Friel 12 years ago, says tournament founder Bob Lee. Kerry’s daughter was a client of Erinoak, a children’s treatment center that has been providing therapy and support services, for over 30 years to young people with physical, developmental and communication challenges. To date the tournament has raised over $200,000.

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Munich Reinsurance Co. of Canada president Ken Irvin welcomed over 100 golfers to hit the links for MROC’s annual golf tournament recently at Glen Abbey. A “beat the pro” event, where contributions were matched by MROC, raised over $3,000 for the Toronto Children’s Breakfast Club. The winner of the event was Manitoba Public Insurance president Jack Zacharias, who won by retrogression, tied with Bob Dempsey of GCNA and Christian Laberge of Towers Perrin.