Latest Florida Headlines

All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Florida Panhandle Wildfire Destroys Home, Damages 15 Others

Apr 8 2024 // PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A wildfire in the Florida Panhandle has destroyed a home and damaged at least 15 others.The Florida Forest Service said Friday that the blaze, which broke out Thursday near Pensacola, was now more...

Gunfight at South Florida Bar Leaves 2 Dead, 7 Injured

Apr 8 2024 // DORAL, Fla. (AP) — A gunfight at a suburban Miami bar left two people dead and seven injured early Saturday.Investigators said a fight between customers broke out around 3:30 a.m. at the Martini Bar in the CityPlace...

Florida OIR Says Enhanced Data Reporting on Hurricane Ian Claims is Due April 17

Apr 5 2024 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is reminding carriers that additional data is due April 17 on Hurricane Ian claims.All property insurers are required by law to submit the enhanced catastrophe reports, including...

Viewpoint: Florida Insurance Market on the Mend

Apr 5 2024 // Almost one year ago, on May 31, 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed sweeping insurance reform legislation into law. At that time, the Florida insurance market was on life support. Homeowners’ insurance companies,...

South Florida Crane Collapse Kills 1 Worker, Injuries People on Bridge

Apr 5 2024 // A construction worker was killed and three other people were injured when a crane section fell onto a bridge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, heavily damaging cars that were crossing the bridge Thursday.The Miami Herald and...

Buyers’ Market Prevails During April Renewals as Reinsurers Seek Growth

Apr 5 2024 // Brokers Aon and Gallagher Re described a buyers’ reinsurance market for the April 1, 2024 property and specialty renewals as reinsurer profit margins benefited from last year’s “redistribution of...

Brown & Brown Buys Citrus/CHAPP Agency in Florida

Apr 4 2024 // Brown & Brown Inc., the sprawling U.S. insurance brokerage based in Daytona Beach, has acquired Citrus Insurance and its affiliate, CHAPP Inc., which secures workers’ compensation coverage for citrus growers in...

A New Approach: Florida Agents Association Makes Big Investment in Startup Insurer

Apr 4 2024 // The Florida Association of Insurance Agents, the largest agent group in the state, has taken the unprecedented step of investing in a startup insurance carrier, a move designed to help keep agents in the game and bring...

Palm Beach Elite Are Raising Money to Lure Vanderbilt to Florida

Apr 3 2024 // Wealthy Florida residents and developers are looking to raise at least $300 million for Vanderbilt University to build a sprawling campus in West Palm Beach.Billionaire developer Steve Ross hosted a reception at his Palm...

Migrants Flown to Martha’s Vineyard by DeSantis Can Sue Charter Flight Company

Apr 3 2024 // BOSTON (AP) — Lawyers representing migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard nearly two years ago by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis can sue the charter flight company that transported them, according to a ruling Monday by a...

Georgia’s Latest Effort on Plaintiff Demands Aims to Deter Bad-Faith Claims

Apr 3 2024 // Georgia lawmakers have approved two bills that could have a significant impact on windstorm and bad-faith claim losses for property insurers.First, the bad-faith reform legislation. Auto insurers have for years fought for...

Florida Supreme Court Lets Recreational Marijuana Stay on November Ballot

Apr 2 2024 // U.S.-listed shares of pot producers rose premarket on Tuesday after the Florida Supreme Court on Monday allowed voters to decide on the fate of recreational use of marijuana in the state through a referendum on the...

AJG Acquires Florida’s Specialty Risk Management Agency

Apr 2 2024 // The global insurance brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher has acquired Fort Myers-based Specialty Risk Management Services and its affiliate agency, Private Client Insurance Services, the broker announced Monday. Specialty Risk...

NICB Praises Florida’s New Law on Predatory Tow Truck Practices

Apr 2 2024 // The National Insurance Crime Bureau is hailing a new Florida law that aims to deter predatory tow-truck practices and limit the fees that tow companies can charge.House Bill 179 was signed by the governor in March and it...

US Home Insurance Premiums May Hit a Record This Year, Report Warns

Apr 1 2024 // US home insurance rates are expected to reach a record high this year, with the biggest increases occurring in states prone to severe weather events, according to a new analysis.The average premium for homeowners insurance...

FEMA: SW Florida Stripped of Flood Insurance Discounts After ‘Improper Rebuilds’

Apr 1 2024 // After spiking premiums, nonrenewals and complaints about unpaid claims, more than 115,000 property owners in southwest Florida are now facing a new slap in the face after 2022’s Hurricane Ian: 25% higher flood...

Fire Chasing May be Latest Iteration of Unscrupulous Tactics

Apr 1 2024 // Fire chasing may be only the latest example of some public claims adjusters and contractors using aggressive and underhanded tactics to tap into property insurance payouts.In hurricane-prone Florida, a state with more than...

Florida High Court Clarifies Things. Ruling Could Cut Damages for Bars Serving Booze to Minors

Apr 1 2024 // Liquor liability insurers in Florida can contemplate potentially lower loss costs on policies, after a recent state Supreme Court ruling that clarified when bars and restaurants can be held partially versus completely...

Creditors Want Court to Force Giuliani to Insure His Florida Condo Until It’s Sold to Pay His Debts

Apr 1 2024 // Full-time Florida residents and snowbirds aren’t the only ones having trouble obtaining insurance on their condominiums. Rudy Giuliani, the former New York Mayor and longtime attorney for Donald Trump, has told a...

Property Restoration Industry: A Culture in Need of Repair?

Apr 1 2024 // Jatiek Smith, a Bloods gang member convicted on extortion and racketeering charges in New York, blamed ruthless competition and a culture of violence in the fire restoration industry for the accusations made against him by...