A practical guide to selling a book
Most people dream about writing a book. How do you sell a book?
Are Chapters and Amazon reviews important?
Does your local bookstore matter?
How important are book clubs?
Does word of mouth really work?
For the answers to all these questions read Carrie Snyder’s blog
As AB costs go down, tort costs go up
As I predicted the cost of Tort claims is rising as the cost of AB is declining. I have often said that the expense in the system remains constant it is just the access that changes.
An article in the Canadian Underwriter confirms this trend.
“Not surprisingly, the numbers are showing that accident benefits claims ratios are coming down… But sure enough, these gains have come at the expense of auto liability claims ratios, which appear to be on the rise.
Read more in the article: Ontario Auto still bent out of shape in the Canadian Underwriter.
Hamilton Diangnostic looking for a contract assessor
Hamilton Diagnostic is looking for a contract assessor to perform FCEs and PDAs.
Please contact me at kevin@metriks.ca for contact information
Toronto Police have arrested 37 people and laid more than 130 charges relating to a vehicle insurance fraud ring.
Project Whiplash began after an incident in 2009, where two vehicles were involved in a staged collision and police thought the reported collision was suspicious.
Physiotherapist position available
Chronic Pain recovery is looking for a physiotherapist for a part time or full position for a Whitby Clinic.
For further information please contact: ajaswal3@hotmail.com
Dr. Amarpreet Jaswal, B.Kin., B.Ed., D.C., D.Ac.
Chronic Pain Recovery
Scarborough: 416-430-0034
Whitby: 905-579-9200
Brampton: 905-456-7676
Agree to failure
Consent Failures
Since September 2011, FSCO has been sending out letters with an attached form to claimants and insurers, starting with the oldest files, to consider the option of failing mediation upon mutual consent.
The Consent to Fail Mediation Form requires the parties:
to list the issues in dispute
jointly request that the mediation be failed
provide confirmation best efforts were made to resolve the dispute and that there is no reasonable prospect of a resolution
must sign and return the form with a specified time period.
Upon receipt of a completed form, the file will be assigned to a mediator for review. If the mediator is of the opinion that mediation will fail, a Report of Mediation failing the issues will be issued, and the file will be closed.
Court decision : This is a Jan. 16 2012 case where the Mediation was deemed to have failed because it did not occur within 60 days.
Read more about FSCO’s Mediation backlog initiatives
OT position available
Pathways Therapy has an exciting opportunity available for a dynamic Occupational Therapist. We are looking for someone who is interested in a management and clinical supervisory position.
Interested parties should contact Stephanie Boyd at:
steph@pathwaystherapy.ca
Wait times for Mediation reduced?
In a case heard on January 17, 2012. Justice Sloan noted the history of FSCO backlogs and the relevant case law and legislation and he concluded that the failure to have a mediation session within the 60 day time limit was, in effect, a statutory “failure” of the mediation. By deeming an inherent failure of the mediation these matters were ripe to proceed onto a court action.
Case details: Superior Court decision (Cornie v. Security National et al.: 2012 ONSC 905) out of Kitchener
Plaintiffs’ counsel represented four separate plaintiffs who had each been denied accident benefits. He applied for mediation. These matters joined the mediation queue, but the 60 day time period came and went without a mediation being scheduled by FSCO. As a result counsel escalated the dispute resolution process and issued Statements of Claim for the denied benefits. Defence counsel brought a motion to have each of these claims stayed on the basis that they had not first been mediated and therefore the Court had no jurisdiction to entertain the claims.
I found the above information on the Gluckstien and Associates blog
Read more from “On the long road to a FSCO mediation there may be an exit ramp…”
Cost of Goods Guideline now available
The Guideline will be effective for any Treatment and Assessment Plan (OCF-18) and Auto Insurance Standard Invoice (OCF-21) submitted in respect of a medical or rehabilitation benefit claim made under the new SABS or old SABS, after the date of publication in the Ontario Gazette. (Jan.14th 2011)
This Guideline has been developed as a result of a recommendation by the Auto Insurance Anti-fraud Task Force in its interim report regarding measures that should be undertaken as soon as possible. Consistent with Ontario’s crackdown on criminal and opportunistic automobile insurance fraud, the interim report suggested the creation of “a guideline to address the issue of insurers being invoiced for medical devices at prices considerably higher than their normal retail value”.
FSCO’s guideline provides direction concerning the appropriate interpretation of the term “reasonable” in these sections.
“For the purposes of this Guideline, the retail price is the lowest price, including delivery charges (if delivery is required), duties and taxes, that would be payable by or on behalf of an insured person to acquire an item of goods from a source that is available to a member of the general public in Ontario,” the guideline states. “Where a retail price exists for an item of goods, a ‘reasonable’ expense for that item…is that retail price, or the price actually paid or payable by or on behalf of the insured person to acquire the item, whichever is lower.”
…in the event of a dispute over whether an expense for an item is ‘reasonable,’ the onus is on the insurer to provide reasonable evidence of the retail price of the item.”
Reasonable evidence includes (but is not limited to) “an advertisement; written confirmation from a vendor; or any other reliable form of proof of the retail price.”
