No member of the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors or holder of a certificate of authorization shall engage in the practice of professional surveying unless insured against professional liability in accordance with the regulations. (See Sec. 32 of the Surveyors Act & Sec. 36 to Sec. 39 of Ontario Regulation 1026).
A member may make arrangements for their own Professional Liability Insurance or may choose to participate in the program arranged by the AOLS. The AOLS program is open to firms providing surveying services and does not cover engineering work. The Association of Ontario Land Surveyors Professional Liability Insurance Application and Claim Forms may be found on the AOLS website.
The AOLS program now has a minimum of $1 million in coverage. It also provides coverage to members at no additional charge when they choose to retire (there are limitations and you should contact Mark Sampson, B.B.A., FCIP of CC&B Group Inc. (905-479-6670) to understand those more fully). Since it includes a self-insured retention fund (currently in the amount of $550,000 annually), if the AOLS pays out less claims than that in one-year, there are provisions to return unused funds to the members. Council has also passed a motion adopting policies to use profits from investments of the self-insured retention funds to offset future payments.
The AOLS has an Insurance Advisory Committee that usually meets three-time per year. They review claims and provide advice to the insurer and to the adjusters. They retain no information on individual files and are subject to a strict confidentiality policy. They also consider the funding formula based on advise from the insurer. They also consider trends in claims to assist in providing appropriate continuing education and policy desisions. A summary of claims can be found here.
If you have a claim or become aware of a potential claim you should immediately contact the insurance company to avoid potentially voiding your coverage. Additionally, it is in your best interest to fully cooperate with the adjusters since they help represent you and their full understanding will result in a better outcome. Never admit liability without speaking to the insurance company and their adjusters.