Latest Florida Headlines

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

Hurricane Season May be Over, but High Winds Still Lashing South Florida

Dec 18 2023 // FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It’s beginning to look at lot like … hurricane season — at least across much of South Florida, where it’s been windy and rainy for two days and the forecast...

Are Billions in Wind Mitigation the Answer for Florida’s Insurance Problems?

Dec 18 2023 // While Florida’s property insurance landscape appears to be leveling out, much more funding is needed to fortify homes against hurricane winds and prevent devastating losses for insureds and insurers, a few panelists...

From Litigation to Capital, Florida Insurance Market Improving, Panelists Say

Dec 18 2023 // The Florida property and casualty insurance market is not out of the woods but it is showing signs of progress, from litigation trends to capital investments in the state, according to almost two dozen people who spoke at...

Tesla Autopilot Recall Threatens Its Defense in Lawsuits Over Crashes

Dec 15 2023 // Tesla Inc.’s biggest vehicle recall ever threatens to hurt the company’s defense in several high-profile lawsuits it faces over crashes linked to Autopilot.The automaker’s recall of 2 million cars comes...

A Year After Florida Adjusters Dropped a Bomb, They’ve Heard Little and Now Want Investigators Fired

Dec 14 2023 // One year ago, three independent claims adjusters stood before the Florida House Commerce Committee and charged that several insurance companies had frequently and misleadingly altered their damage estimates on wind...

KBRA: Florida Insurers Got Creative in 2023 but Higher Reinsurance, Storms Coming

Dec 13 2023 // Things are looking up in the buffeted Florida market, but reinsurance rates will continue to rise for the next two years, and a 2024 hurricane season could be busy. It all suggests that property insurers will continue to...

Former Florida Adjuster Sentenced to Five Years in Robbing of Tampa Drug Dealers

Dec 13 2023 // A former Florida claims adjuster has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years of probation for her role in a scheme to rob alleged drug dealers in the Tampa area.Jasmine Weber, 28, of Tampa, a former adjuster...

Florida Trial Lawyer State Rep Offers Condo ACV Bill as a Solution to Costs

Dec 12 2023 // A bill introduced by a Democrat and trial attorney would take a step toward something that property insurers have longed for in recent years – actual cash value coverage on roofs, at least condominium roofs.State Rep....

Real Estate Titans Battle DeSantis Over China Property Crackdown

Dec 12 2023 // (Bloomberg) — Ron DeSantis rattled corporate America by making Walt Disney Co. a target of his conservative culture wars. Now, the Florida governor’s campaignto rid the state of Chinese influence is fueling a...

In Florida, One Coast Is Soaked. The Other Is Parched.

Dec 11 2023 // ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — In Florida, this year has been a tale of two states as far as rainfall totals, with the southeast coast deluged by sometimes-record rainfall and much of the Gulf of Mexico coast facing a...

With Differing Court Rulings on Pre-Suit Notice of Intent, Florida Insurers Left Guessing

Dec 11 2023 // On October 27, 2023, Florida’s 5th District Court of Appeal ruled that a personal injury protection pre-suit demand letter needs to include only a billing ledger and does not need to state the exact amount that the...

Florida Governor’s Budget Would Slice Premium Taxes and FIGA Assessment

Dec 8 2023 // Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s insurance commissioner have touted the governor’s 2024-2025 state budget, released this week, as a $431 million relief package for Florida homeowners struggling with...

Florida Weekly Wage and Max Workers’ Comp Benefit See Biggest Jump Since 1980

Dec 8 2023 // The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation has released the maximum weekly wage benefit for 2024 and it’s the largest two-year jump in wages in more than four decades.Florida law sets the maximum indemnity...

Regulatory Battles In Personal Lines Ahead; Allstate May Drop Customers

Dec 8 2023 // Analysts from Standard & Poor’s predicted this week that while personal auto results are starting to stabilize, the continued push for rate in 2024 will set the stage for more faceoffs between regulators and...

Florida Family Sues Panera Bread Over Caffeinated Lemonade After Man’s Death

Dec 7 2023 // FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. (AP) –The family of a 46-year-old Florida man has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against one of the biggest fast-casual restaurant chains in the U.S., claiming Panera Bread...

Florida Commissioner, NAMIC Latest to Push Back on Federal Climate Change Data Call

Dec 6 2023 // Florida’s insurance commissioner and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies are pushing back against a plan by the U.S. Treasury to collect data from insurers on risks from climate change, calling it...

US DOJ Slaps Criminal Fines on UK Brokers Tysers and H.W. Wood for Bribery

Dec 5 2023 // The US Department of Justice has slapped criminal penalties on UK reinsurance brokers Tysers Insurance Brokers Ltd. and H.W. Wood Ltd. as a result of their participation “in a corrupt scheme to pay bribes to...

Florida Authorities Charge 4 in Fraudulent Roof Claims, Issue Warrant for Contractor

Dec 4 2023 // Florida authorities have announced the arrest of four people in connection with an alleged scheme to deliberately damage roofs in order to qualify them for insurance claims. And another contractor well known to insurers...

Declarations

Dec 4 2023 // “Although the overall impact of generative AI on employment remains uncertain, it will likely change the way society works, as current employees learn to leverage the power of this developing technology.”...

People & Places

Dec 4 2023 // Pat Tomlinson has been named president of Marsh McLennan’s Mercer and will succeed Mercer CEO Martine Ferland upon her retirement March 31, 2024.In the meantime, as president, Tomlinson will report to Ferland and...