Articles

About Articles The following articles are published by the Insurance Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association. Members are encouraged to submit articles. About Articles

Editors: Sudevi Mukherjee‐Gothi and Tracey Hamilton

Today
Today

Court of Appeal Rejects All Sums Approach to Long-Tail Claims

  • March 06, 2024
  • Murray Stieber and Avi Sharabi

So-called “long-tail claims”, i.e. claims where the alleged damage spans a number of years, pose various coverage challenges for insurers and policyholders. On February 27, 2024, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in Loblaw Companies Limited v. Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada, 2024 ONCA 145 (CanLII) (“Loblaw”), where it tried to bring some clarity to some of the material coverage issues that arise with these types of claims.

Insurance Law, Student Forum

Duelling Definitions: The Meaning of the Term “Law” in Insurance Policy Interpretation

  • February 29, 2024
  • Michael A. Valdez, Stieber Berlach LLP

Legal arguments over the meaning of a single term may seem like little more than semantic squabbles to those unfamiliar with insurance law. However, small interpretative disputes are often at the center of high-value insurance claims. The analysis of these disputes frequently determines whether the case ends in a big payout, or with a justifiably denied claim.

Insurance Law, Student Forum

Creating a One-Sided Narrative Could Lead to a Punitive Damages Award against an Insurer: Lessons from Baker v. Blue Cross

  • January 24, 2024
  • Katherine Di Tomaso, Avi Sharabi, Linette King, Stieber Berlach LLP

Insurers should pay careful attention to the recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision in Baker v. Blue Cross Insurance Company of Canada which upheld a significant jury verdict in the amount of $1,500,000 in punitive damages and approximately another $1,000,000 in full indemnity fees and disbursements against the long-term disability benefits insurer. This article provides a discussion of the insurance dispute and key takeaways for insurers and litigants engaged in insurance claims disputes.

Insurance Law, Student Forum

ONCA Clarifies Coverage Chaos: G1 Driver Given Consent to use Father’s Vehicle on Highway they Mistakenly Believe to be Roadway, Injures Passenger on Completely Different Highway on Which he had No Permission to Travel

  • December 12, 2023
  • Michael A. Valdez, Stieber Berlach LLP

In Pridmore v. Drenth 2023 ONCA 606, the Ontario Court of Appeal illuminates the complex issue of whether the mistaken belief that a highway is a road will operate to vitiate third-party insurance coverage. The Court of Appeal provides insight into when courts will allow relief from forfeiture.

Insurance Law, Student Forum

Get to know your OBA Insurance Law Section Executive

  • December 11, 2023
  • Zack Garcia

A profile to get to know the OBA Insurance Law Executive. This focus is on Zack Garcia, Senior Claims Officer and Counsel Financial & Professional Services (FPS) at Liberty Mutual Canada.

Insurance Law, Student Forum