Insurers must play nice

Mental distress claim upheld
In Ontario Judge Raymond Harris ruled in a no-fault benefit case involving Echelon General Insurance Company. The judge was not happy with the relationship that was created by the insurer. It was adversarial and deemed to be counter-productive with resulting mental distress.

The judge stated that this mental distress resulted from the negative relationship with the Defendant insurance company. The Plaintiff had 21 denials of 16 separate benefits in a three year period.

An award was given of $25,000 for the mental distress. This is the first time that Ontario has awarded money as per the case of Fidler v. Sun Life.

The insurance answer
Everything is about relationships. You have a relationship with your agent or broker. That agent or broker has a relationship with the insurance company. The insurance company has to be co-operative with you in working through a claims situation. This is the law.

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