The Importance Of Saying What You Mean

Insurance Policies in Canada are steeped in a rich history of drafting, re-drafting, revising, adding, and subtracting - mostly in response to the ever-shifting landscape of risk and legal interpretation. On top of that, policies often consist of a patchwork of coverage, exclusions, exceptions, and endorsements. The result is that sometimes a policy will resemble a byzantine maze of technical terms where the underlying intent of the policy can be difficult, if not impossible, for the average person (or even lawyers and judges) to discern. Unfortunately for insurers, they are most often required to bear the burden of any ambiguity, leading to cases where coverage is extended beyond what was likely anticipated or intended.