By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Dissatisfaction with the structure of municipal liability insurance is a topic Northumberland County council’s Finance and Audit Committee will recommend for discussion at the Feb. 17 county council meeting.
The matter came up at the committee’s February meeting in correspondence from the Corporation of the Township of Larder Lake and Municipality of Grey Highlands that Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander wanted to highlight.
“It is a bit of a flogging-a-dead-horse initiative,” Ostrander said of the motion put forth in both items of correspondence.
“But it’s also an important initiative.”
Both letters contained proposed motions to be shared with local MPPs as well as Premier Doug Ford and several appropriate provincial ministers.
To adopt a model of full proportionate liability to replace the current joint-and-several liability.
To implement enhancements to the existing limitations period, including the continued applicability of the existing 10-day rule on slip-and-fall cases (given recent judicial interpretations on whether a one-year limitation period might be beneficial)
To implement a cap on economic-loss awards
To increase the catastrophic-impairment default benefit limit to $2-million and increase the third-party liability coverage to $2-million in government-related automobile insurance plans
To assess and implement additional measures that would support lower premiums or alternatives to the provision of insurance services by other entities such as nonprofit insurance reciprocals
To compel the insurance industry to supply all necessary financial evidence, including premiums, claims and deductible-limit changes which support its own and municipal arguments as to the fiscal impact of joint-and-several liability
To establish a provincial and municipal working group to consider these issues and provide recommendations to the Attorney General.
A subsequent clause calls on the province to review these recommendations immediately and “to investigate the unethical practice of preferred vendors who are paid substantial amounts over industry standards, despite COVID 19 delays, as insurance premiums will soon be out of reach for many communities.”
Warden Bob Crate voiced agreement as he seconded Ostrander’s motion to recommend the motion in the correspondence be endorse at the county council meeting.
“It’s part of a recent conversation I had,” Crate said.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
