The retail operator's claim revealed three coverage gaps: the sub-limit that capped the water damage payment at fifteen thousand, the separate mould deductible that added ten thousand to the out-of-pocket cost, and the absent business interruption endorsement that left thirty-seven thousand in lost revenue completely uncompensated. Each gap was different in its details, but all three followed the same pattern.
The information that would have revealed the gap was in the policy document, printed clearly on the declarations page or documented in the broker's file. The operator never read the document. The gap was discovered only when the claim was filed, at which point it was too late to close it. The premium that would have been required to close the gap was modest in every case. The cost of leaving the gap open was enormous.
This pattern is not unusual. It is the single most common dynamic in insurance disputes across Alberta and across Canada. A policyholder is surprised by a coverage limitation that was always visible in the policy. The limitation was not hidden. It was not buried in obscure legal language. It was printed in a table on the first page of the policy, in a format designed to be readable by someone without any insurance training. The policyholder simply never looked.