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ARTICLE · 27 MAY 2026

Looking Beyond The Last Cause: Insurance Coverage For Multi-cause Losses

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
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Green Rise Foods Inc. v. N.V. Hagelunie, 2026 ONCA 334, is a recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal about insurance coverage for a business loss caused by a series of related events.

CanadaInsurance
Keith Marlowe
Keith Marlowe
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Key Takeaways

  • The case centres on a greenhouse loss due to carbon monoxide, where multiple failures led to crop destruction.
  • Analysis of insurance coverage should consider the entire causal chain, not just the final damaging event.
  • Businesses should thoroughly analyze loss causes and avoid oversimplifying when facing insurance denials.

Green Rise Foods Inc. v. N.V. Hagelunie, 2026 ONCA 334, is a recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal about insurance coverage for a business loss caused by a series of related events.

The decision is important for businesses with complex operations. In many commercial settings, loss does not have one obvious cause. A piece of equipment may fail. A monitoring system may not respond. A substance may escape. Inventory or production may then be lost. In that kind of case, the coverage analysis should not stop at the final event in the sequence.

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