Lawsuit Highs and Lows: Legal costs impacting auto insurance premiums in Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta – According to a new report from consulting firm MNP, fees associated with post-collision lawsuits have emerged as a significant contributor to rising auto insurance premiums in Alberta. In its report, MNP found that legal fees accounted for approximately 20 percent of premiums in Alberta, translating to nearly $200 annually for each driver. […]
Strike Update: MPI grapples with record hail claims amid strike; ‘solutions and challenges are ongoing’ for collision centres
Winnipeg, Manitoba — Monday marked one week since more than 1,700 unionized employees of Manitoba’s crown insurer announced a strike—and there’s no end in sight as far as the collision industry goes, said Ferd Klassen, vice president of the Automotive Trades Association of Manitoba and owner of Niverville Autobody. “Solutions and challenges are ongoing, and […]
Insurer Offers: MPI calls on workers’ union to end strike ‘immediately’; further refines services to streamline processes
Winnipeg, Manitoba — Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) workers are now in their second week of strike action after the public insurer and the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) failed to reach a deal. “With more unnecessary strike action scheduled for next week, MPI continues to call on MGEU to accept binding arbitration–to end […]
DIY ‘Til I Die: Nearly half of U.K. motorists have ‘botched’ a DIY repair job, according to Aviva
London, United Kingdom — Almost half of U.K. motorists have ‘botched’ a DIY car repair or maintenance job—but 80 percent of these drivers admit they’ll continue their own DIY repairs, according to a recent press release from Aviva’s United Kingdom operations. Among the most frequently encountered and financially burdensome mistakes were errors in checking and […]
Ontario lawyer group calls for investigation into Aviva Insurance’s conduct
Toronto, Ontario — The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) issued a press release on August 3, saying it had learned of the “troubling revelation” that Aviva Insurance hired Thérèse Reilly, a government insurance adjudicator, while she was employed with the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), and that she had been involved in a number of case […]
Eyes to Canada: Wawanesa to sell U.S. subsidiary for ‘focus efforts on home market in Canada’
Winnipeg, Manitoba — Wawanesa has entered an agreement to sell its U.S. subsidiary, Wawanesa General Insurance Company, to focus its efforts on the Canadian market, the insurer announced on Aug. 1. “We believe it’s the right time to concentrate on our home market,” said Jeff Goy, president and CEO of Wawanesa. Goy did not specify […]
Misplaced Priorities: Collision coverage is second most important factor in auto insurance, says PC Insurance survey
Toronto, Ontario — A PC Insurance commissioned survey found that safe driving discounts are the prime factor for most Canadians, with collision and liability coverage ironically considered the second and third most important factors in an auto insurance policy. The survey polled 1,500 Canadians, asking which factors they considered important, along with the most common misconceptions […]
Premature Disappearance: Insurers likely writing off electric vehicles for scratched batteries
Toronto, Ontario — Excited to dive into the world of electric vehicle (EV) recycling? With the current state of insurance, an EV might be written off completely if its battery is dented, warped or slightly scratched. According to an article first published by the Times Live, this stems from a general inability to assess or […]
Balancing New Brunswick: Drivers note massive gaps in insurance quotes for same driver profiles
Moncton, New Brunswick – A recent inquiry into a controversial graph by a politician criticizing high automotive insurance rates in Alberta has unveiled the possibility of significant variance in insurance rates for drivers in New Brunswick, potentially varying as high as $5,300. Specifically, these difference came from a CBC News inquiry for a 24-year-old driver […]
You’re It: Aviva, Traders insurance to offer tracking tech to drivers of theft-risk vehicles
Toronto, Ontario — Aviva and its subsidiary Traders Insurance announced Thursday that they have teamed up with Tag, a company specializing in vehicle tracking, to offer drivers of high theft risk vehicles the ability to keep an eye on their vehicle at all times. The Tag vehicle tracking system functions differently from other GPS-based tracking […]
