Newsletters

The Lake Overflows but the Loss Is Excluded

One will recall the catastrophic events of the evening of April 27 2019 when a dike collapsed in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac flooding a large neighborhood causing catastrophic damages to property. But was this loss covered by the residential policy issued by La Personnelle? That is the question the Superior Court attempted to answer in the matter of […]

An “Owner Occupant” Home Insurance Requires Actual Occupancy by the Owner

On December 20, 2022, in Dang c. Industrielle-Alliance, assurance auto et habitation inc., 2022 QCCA 1739, the Court of Appeal maintained the Superior Court judgment which was the topic of our bulletin of June 17, 2021 (Homeowner Insurance Policy: The Importance of Living in the Insured Dwelling). The Superior Court Decision Appellant was the sole […]

A Wellington Application First Requires a Covered Loss

In Construction Placo inc. c. Kingspan Insulated Panels Ltd., 2021 QCCS 1230, rendered on March 18, 2021, Construction Placo inc. [Placo], as cross-defendant, sought an order from the Court requesting Société d’assurance générale Northbridge [Northbridge] to assume its defence and to pay all costs associated with its defence within the scope of the cross-claim. In […]

Can a Paid Party Be Exempt From Liability Under the Fire Safety Act?

In the case of J. Noël Francœur inc. c. Industrielle Alliance, assurances auto et habitation inc., 2020 QCCA 1676, the Court of Appeal was called upon to interpret certain provisions of the Fire Safety Act [FSA], more particularly section 47 which contains an exemption from liability for persons who in certain circumstances assist firefighters during […]

A Snapshot of our Recent Activity — Insurance Law

First and foremost, we would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2021 in both your personal and professional lives. We look forward to sharing with you a snapshot of our activities over the course of the year. Since our previous six-month review, the firm has been very busy. In fact RSS […]

The Warranty Against Latent Defects: The Importance of Presumptions

The Superior Court’s decision in Compagnie d’assurances AIG du Canada c. Kenworth Québec inc., 2020 QCCS 1377, is a reminder of the principles applicable to the warranty against latent defects. In April 2014, a Kenworth vehicle belonging to the City of Shawinigan [City] and insured by Compagnie d’assurances AIG du Canada [AIG] caught fire and […]

Coverage Under a Wrap-up Policy May Be Excluded When the Work Is Not Completed

In Constructions Reliance inc. (Constructions Reliance du Canada ltée) c. Compagnie d’assurances Temple, 2020 QCCA 947, recently rendered by the Court of Appeal, the Court concluded that the judge of first instance had not committed any error in deciding that the wrap-up policy issued by Temple did not cover damages caused by a painter since […]

The Judicial Clock Will Be Running Again in September

Over the last month, activities in various sectors are gradually resuming and the re-openings are occurring in phases — as has been the case for our courts. You may recall that last March, ministerial orders were issued to order the suspension of numerous delays and limitation periods until the Government of Quebec announces the end of […]

SNC-Lavalin inc. c. Deguise: Can a Retroactive Date Be Included by an Excess Insurer in a Follow Form System?

On April 6, the Court of Appeal of Québec rendered its decision in SNC-Lavalin inc. (Terratech inc. et SNC-Lavalin Environnement inc.) c. Deguise, 2020 QCCA 495. Considering the importance of this decision for both the construction and insurance industries, RSS offers a series of newsletters discussing the main issues at stake. This is one segment of the […]

Bailiff Services: Issuing and Filing of Proceedings in Non-urgent Matters Is Now Allowed

As you may know, the activities have gradually resumed at the court houses in Quebec as of June 1, which is great news for the legal community as well as for citizens. Each judicial district is however distinct with respect to issuing and filing of proceedings. With respect to the judicial districts of Montreal, Longueuil […]