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The « Appropriate Care » Provision in Disability Insurance: An Application Bearing Heavy Consequences for the Insured

In Desjardins Sécurité financière v. Hébert, the Court of Appeal reminds us of an essential condition often overlooked in order to claim disability insurance benefits: the obligation to be under the care of a medical team and to receive medical treatment, a contextualization of the obligation to mitigate one’s damages. The Court also considers the […]

Working Remotely: Now and Forever?

“I’d like to make a job offer to this candidate. The work will be performed remotely, from home. Can I change this condition at a later date?” In a decision rendered on 16 March 2023, the Administrative Labour Tribunal confirmed that employers have management rights that allows them to require their employees to return to […]

Fraudulent Statements: Still a Question of Credibility

In Paul-Hus c. Sun Life, Compagnie d’assurance-vie, 2023 QCCS 3890, the Superior Court reminds us of the importance of answering questions truthfully and completely when taking out an insurance policy. Faced with the question of whether the insured intended to deceive the insurer, the Court’s analysis shows that credibility remains a key element. Facts On March […]

Can an Insured Have Their Cake and Be Indemnified for It Too?

The Sainte-Rose-du-Nord1 decision rendered by the Superior Court presents an interesting scenario that arose in the context of a Wellington motion. The Facts The Municipality of Sainte-Rose-du-Nord (the “Insured“) held two civil liability policies issued by the Fonds d’assurance des municipalités du Québec (the “Insurer“), one for general liability and the other for errors and […]

Law 25: An Act to Modernize Legislative Provisions as Regards the Protection of Personal Information

Important amendments will be applicable as of September 22, 2023 Law 25 amends the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (hereinafter the “Act”), applicable to companies in the private sector. While Law 25 itself came into force on September 22, 2022, the most important amendments will come into force as […]

The Flowers, the Pot and the Fire

Can the defendant qualify as part of her father’s house and have the action brought against her dismissed? Does the declaration of co-ownership contain clauses that constitute a waiver to sue the co-owners? These are the questions addressed by the Honourable Alexander Pless, Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec, in Intact compagnie d’assurance v. […]

A Recent Superior Court Judgment on the Professional Liability of Insurance Brokers

In the recent matter of Jolicoeur vs. Rivard Assurances générales inc., 2023 QCCS 1685, the Superior Court analyzed the professional liability of an insurance broker and his brokerage firm, to determine whether they should indemnify plaintiffs for a penalty of $171,463.08 applied by the insurer due to the increased risk of fire discovered following a […]

How Many Insurers Does It Take To Defend an Insured?

A recent decision of the Superior Court of Quebec (Perron v. Famille Marie-Jeunesse, 2023 QCCS 1719) provides some insight into when an insured may compel a liability insurer to take up its defence when the insured is already being defended by another insurer. It also provides an example of circumstances where the principle that a […]

The Inevitable Disclosure of Changes in Insurability in Life Insurance Matters

On July 11, in Bourdages v. Ivari, 2023 QCCS 1688 (CanLII), the Superior Court considered the impact of an undisclosed change in the state of health of an insured taking out a life insurance policy, which occurred between the submission of the application and the effective date of the policy. Background to the dispute On […]

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 […]
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