Full disclosure:  I am not a dog lover.  But I’m delighted to know its officially “Dog Bite Prevention Week” (May 15th to 21st). I do have “grand-dogs”.  And a family member just converted from an avowed position of “dog-aversion” to acquiring a four-legged friend (that cries through the night and piddles in inappropriate places). The  more...

Somehow it sounds crazy – and most people shake their heads when they hear about it. A criminal steals a car – maybe provoking a police chase – and sustains injuries in a subsequent collision.  And in Canada, that thief is entitled to the same medical portion of the accident and death benefits coverage* as  more...

As the costs mount from the Fukushima nuclear accident, more observers are wondering if we can afford the potential for economic fallout from the production of nuclear power. Our globe is now home to over 400 nuclear power plants – many of which have little or no insurance coverage against accidental damage. Why is nuclear  more...

In the insurance world, every incident of damage is followed by a restoration and repair process.  Japan’s recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami – and subsequent nuclear malfunction – while on a massive scale, is essentially no different. But 2 colossal hurdles are impeding progress: 1)     the first is financial: who is going  more...

Most of us think of mould resulting from over-exposure to water combined with poor housekeeping. But moulds are ubiquitous in nature, and already exist in your home and mine.  And they are dormant, at least until spores – residing in household and workplace dust – result.  The spores (reproductive structure adapted for dispersal) can cause  more...

It is now the single largest cause of property damage to Canadian homes. Water damage now accounts for more claims dollars spent on any other single risk to property. The following link will take you to a short article explaining the financial dimensions of the problem, according to AVIVA Canada. http://www.ilstv.com/average-water-damage-claim-rose-160-in-ten-years-aviva-canada/ AVIVA Canada also offers the  more...

The March 28 earthquake  in Myanmar (magnitude 6.8)  – hard on the heels of the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand – again reminds us of the destructive power of nature. But every spring another threat emerges across Canada – and it’s the most frequently occurring natural hazard in this country. Flooding. And this problem  more...

Although it happened half a world away, the economic ripples of Japan’s 3-part catastrophe (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear melt-down) will be felt here in Canada. Because it is the world’s third-largest economy, the devastation in Japan is already resulting in supply-chain interruptions on everything from auto parts to electronics to aircraft assembly. In the financial sector,  more...

A recent Canadian report* indicates alcohol-related vehicle crashes in Canada killed significantly more males than females.  Almost 80% of fatalities in such collisions were male; and almost 70% of those were drivers (as opposed to passengers or pedestrians.) Digging into the stats provides more support for the contention that while males generally may not represent  more...

We’ve all seen them: a waiver – the fine print – on the back of an event ticket or activity pass indicating that the operator refuses to accept liability for accidental outcomes. From a legal viewpoint, a waiver is the intentional and voluntary giving up of something, or the intentional relinquishing of a right of  more...