Articles

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

Editors: Siobhan Leigh McClelland and Tracey Hamilton

Today
Today

Now is the Winter of Our Discontent: ONCA Settles How Long Winter Contractors Should Take to Apply Salt, Reiterates Duty of Care Separate from Contractual Duties

  • October 05, 2023
  • Michael A. Valdez, Stieber Berlach LLP

In the recent decision of Musa v. Carleton Condominium Corporation No. 255, the Ontario Court of Appeal offers clear guidance as to how long a winter maintenance contractor can wait before it must apply salt to an area, a problem which has long plagued both plaintiff and defence lawyers alike.

Insurance Law, Student Forum

Falling off the Priority Ladder: ONCA Denies Attempt to Import Causation Requirement into s. 268(2) of the Insurance Act, and Clarifies the Difference Between “Incident” and “Accident”

  • August 14, 2023
  • Michael A. Valdez, Stieber Berlach LLP

The decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Ontario (Government and Consumer Services) v. Gore Mutual Insurance Company stresses that there is no room for a causation analysis when interpreting the priority rules in s.268(2) of the Insurance Act. These priority rules are used to determine who is liable to pay statutory accident benefits after an automobile accident.

Insurance Law, Student Forum

From Settlement to Stay: The Ontario Court of Appeal Affirms the Importance of Prompt Disclosure of Settlement Information to Related Parties

  • April 27, 2023
  • Grace Murdoch

In its recent decision, Skymark Finance Corporation v Ontario, 2023 ONCA 234 , the Ontario Court of Appeal took the opportunity to comment on the importance of immediate disclosure of settlement minutes to other parties in an action and to clarify the meaning of the phrase “to change the entirety of the litigation landscape."

Insurance Law, Student Forum

Martin v AGO et al.: The Standard of Care Required of an Occupier is not One of Perfection

  • March 20, 2023
  • Lujza Csanyi

In Martin v AGO et al. , the Ontario Superior Court reiterated that the standard of care required of an occupier under Section 3(1) of the Occupiers’ Liability Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.2 (the “Act”) is one of reasonableness and not perfection. Although the standard of care is fact-specific, occupiers are not responsible for eliminating every conceivable form of danger on the premises.

Insurance Law, Student Forum

Vitriol or Value? ONCA Provides Direction on Anti-SLAPP Analysis

  • March 17, 2023
  • Landan Peleikis

In Thorman v. McGraw, the Ontario Court of Appeal clarified section 137.1(4)(b) of the Courts of Justice Act and further narrowed the class of public expression deemed worthy of protection under Ontario’s anti-SLAPP legislation.

Insurance Law, Student Forum