1 / 25

Government Vehicles

Government Vehicles. Managing Liability Risk Financial Management Institute November 24 2008. Maxim. “No man hath endurance, as he that selleth insurance” -anon. Our Organization and Role. Acquisitions Branch Policy, Risk and Strategic Management Sector

rozene
Download Presentation

Government Vehicles

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Government Vehicles Managing Liability Risk Financial Management Institute November 24 2008

  2. Maxim “No man hath endurance, as he that selleth insurance” -anon

  3. Our Organization and Role Acquisitions Branch Policy, Risk and Strategic Management Sector Acquisition Program integrity Secretariat Risk Management Advisory Services • Support the the procurement process by providing advice on insurance and limitation of liability • Manage the National Master Standing Offer agreement for insurance services • Advise other departments and agencies on insurance management • Prepare Treasury Board Submissions for Acquisitions Branch

  4. Today’s Objective • Provide a general overview of automobile liability and risk • Enable understanding of the financial and legal implications of the risks • Help create a higher degree of risk sensitivity • Instill confidence through risk control

  5. Agenda • Quick Facts • Regulatory Environment • Policy Environment • Self-Underwriting • Insurance • Key Financial Exposures • Legal Issues • Risk Identification and Analysis • Risk Control • Monitoring the Risk • Personal Considerations • Q and A

  6. Quick Facts • From 2000 to 2004, 32% of accidental deaths in Canada were attributed to motor vehicle accidents • 70% of these deaths occurred in the 15-24 year old age group • In addition, each year there are over 200,000 people injured in motor vehicle accidents • From 1979 to 2004, fatalities declined 52% Sources: Transport Canada/Statistics Canada

  7. Quick Facts • In Canada, automobile insurance accounts for almost half of all private sector insurance premiums: $16.6B in 2006 • Provincial government insurance regimes in QC, MB, SK and BC added another $5.3B in premiums • Non-government insurers paid $4.1B in Third Party Liability claims and $2.3B in Accident Benefits Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada

  8. Regulatory Environment Provincial Legislation • Highway Traffic Acts • Negligence Acts • Motor Vehicle Acts • Insurance Acts • Workers’ Compensation Acts

  9. Regulatory Environment Federal Legislation • Department of Justice Act • Financial Administration Act • Government Employees Compensation Act • Canada Labour Code • Criminal Code of Canada

  10. Policy Environment Treasury Board Policies • Risk Management Policy • Integrated Risk Management Framework • Policy on Claims and Ex Gratia Payment • Motor Vehicle Operations Directive • Directives on Fleet Management

  11. Self-Underwriting • To self-underwrite is to retain and fund the risk of accidental loss • Similar to self-insurance, except that a self-insured can transfer excess or catastrophic risk to an insurer • The Crown self-underwrites its own risks, with some exceptions • Financial losses are paid from a revolving fund and charged to the department incurring the loss • Managing the risk of loss is crucial to self-underwriting schemes

  12. Insurance • The TB Risk Management Policy permits the placement of insurance by Crown departments • Automobile Liability insurance is mandatory for: Crown vehicles entering the US Crown Ministers fleet • The insurance in place for both risks pertains only to third party liability • The insurance premium is paid, and the policy managed by the department which purchased the insurance • Other costs, such as deductibles, are the responsibility of the department

  13. Key Financial Exposures • Catastrophic Loss: Liability for the value of the loss • Statutory Accident Benefits: Liability for long term medical expenses and income replacement benefits • Loss transfer: Liability for third party insurer costs for accident benefits where: Accidents involve the use of large vehicle; e.g. >5,000Kg Other liability, e.g. product liability, is imputed to the Crown • Statutory Penalties: Liability for fines levied for late or non-payment of statutory benefits

  14. Legal Issues Priority of Payments • Insurance Acts determine who pays first and when • Principle applies in Accident Benefits and in some cases of third party injury • In Ontario, injured persons are required to claim for benefits against their own insurance policy • Those who don’t have a vehicle can claim against the owner’s policy whose vehicle was involved • Legislation in ON, AB and BC limits the liability of lessors and transfers the primary payment obligation to the driver

  15. Legal Issues Protected vs. Unprotected Defendant • Protected defendant applies in no-fault (e.g. ON Insurance Act) cases where a a liable party cannot be sued • Protected defendant can lose that status where liability can be imputed for negligence other than operation of the vehicle • Cases of unsafe vehicle, defects can permit a plaintiff to sue for negligence related to product liability • In such cases, the plaintiff is not restricted by no-fault legislation

  16. Legal Issues Joint and Several Liability • Principle in law that each and every defendant can be fully liable for a loss • One party can be required to pay the full value of the loss despite being partially negligent • In some cases, 1% of negligence can equal 100% liability • Such cases can occur with uninsured or underinsured defendants and one “deep pocket” defendant

  17. Legal Issues Non-Owned Liability • Arises from the use of vehicles not owned by the Crown • Common to rental vehicles, where the limit of insurance carried by the Lessor may be at the provincial minimum • The Crown may be held liable for liability losses exceeding the insurance limit

  18. Risk Identification and Analysis The Risk Profile • Fleet size and composition • Range and type of operations • Operator training and permit requirements • Maintenance requirements and service contracting • Repair and service history • Loss History • Policies and Procedures on Vehicle Use

  19. Risk Control Loss Prevention • Vehicle use restrictions • Operator training, testing and abstracts • Application of safe operation manuals • Remedial training following infractions and accidents • Circle checks – before and after • Preventative maintenance schedule

  20. Risk Control Loss Reduction • Loss reporting procedures • “In vehicle” accident instructions and contact numbers • Accident investigation • Loss adjustment services • Incident review

  21. Risk Control Loss Transfer • Using contracts to transfer the risk of loss or requirement to insure • Rental agreements can transfer the obligation of third party liability insurance – subject to certain legislation • If contractors use government vehicles, their own insurance policies can be endorsed to provide liability insurance coverage • Loss adjustment and appraisal services can be used to reduce costs and focus resources in core areas

  22. Monitoring the Risks Resource Deployment • Policy and Procedure Oversight: Commitment and adherence by senior management • Loss data and reporting: Manage loss data, reporting and relationships with service providers • Claim file audits: Audit claim files to ensure high performance standards • Culture of Compliance: Reinforce best practices and recognize success

  23. Personal Considerations • Automobile Liability is a common but significant risk • Prudence and common sense can help avoid and prevent serious loss • Low value measures can help contain high costs • Lead by example • Seconds can change a life!

  24. Resources • Canada Safety Council: www.safety-council.org/ • Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals: www.carsp.ca/ • Insurance Bureau of Canada: www.ibc.ca/ • Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:www.iihs.org/ • SMARTRISK: www.smartrisk.ca/ • Transport Canada: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/pub/menu/

  25. Q and A Questions?

More Related