General Principles of Canadian Insurance Law, 4th Edition

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Whether preparing and arguing insurance cases in court, assessing the enforceability of an insurance contract or advising clients about their insurance contracts, General Principles of Canadian Insurance Law, 4th Edition by Barbara Billingsley is for you. This comprehensive publication focuses exclusively on Canadian insurance law general principles and is now fully updated with the latest developments in case law and insurance regulation since the 3rd Edition published six years ago.

Features of This Book

• Provides a comprehensive overview of insurance contract law, detailing the fundamental principles as set out by case law and by common statutory provisions
• Explains the principles applicable to the interpretation and enforcement of insurance contracts in a straightforward, easy-to-understand approach
• Offers critical analysis and explanations of key concepts, legislation and cases
• Outlines the nature of insurance contracts and the sources of insurance law regulation in Canada
• Features an in-depth discussion of foundational insurance law principles and key legal concepts governing the formation of the insurance contract, insurance policy interpretation, insurance policy claims, and third party rights
• Includes a glossary of insurance law terms, providing a quick and easy reference to salient insurance law terms and definitions used by the courts

Answers the Most-Asked Questions
General Principles of Canadian Insurance Law, 4th Edition addresses some of the most common and troublesome issues in insurance law, including:

• What principles of interpretation govern insurance contracts and how are these principles applied?
• What are the good faith obligations of the parties to an insurance contract?
• What are the primary disclosure obligations of the parties to an insurance contract?
• How do the doctrines of relief from forfeiture, waiver and estoppel impact insurance contracts?
• How are fundamental common law principles affected by insurance legislation?

What's New in this Edition

• Updated coverage of insurance law regulations in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia
• Recent key appellate and trial level decisions relating to insurance contract interpretation, estoppel, the insurer’s duty to respond to a claim, valuation, and the impact of limitation periods on an insurance contract claim
• The Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling in Emond v. Trillium Mutual Insurance Co., [2026] S.C.J. No. 3, 2026 SCC 3
• The Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling in Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia v. Royal & Sun Alliance, [2021], S.C.J. No. 47, 2021 SCC 47
• The Alberta Court of Appeal ruling in Abbas v. Esurance Co. of Canada, [2023] A.J. No. 111, 2023 ABCA 36, addressing the fraudulent claims rule

Who Should Read This Book

• Insurance lawyers – provides an excellent reference and research resource on insurance law contracts
• In-house counsel – a guide for any company dealing with insurance contracts of any kind on a regular basis (banks, insurance companies, etc.)
• Insurance adjusters and claims examiners – as a guideline for the insurance law principles they follow in their daily practice
• Insurance law students – as an introduction to and explanation of important insurance law concepts
• Law libraries – provides an excellent legal research resource for insurance law