Latest Florida Headlines

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

Bad Press, Claims Issues, Halt on New Business Giving Industry Another Black Eye?

Jun 12 2023 // It’s no secret that the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry does not always enjoy a sterling reputation among consumers. As one insurance professor recently put it, the industry’s rank in public opinion...

Judge Rejects 3M Effort to Resolve Earplug Lawsuits in Bankruptcy

Jun 12 2023 // A U.S. judge on Friday dismissed the bankruptcy of 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies, rejecting an effort to resolve nearly 260,000 lawsuits alleging that 3M military earplugs caused hearing loss for veterans and U.S....

Florida Lawmakers Finally Approved Workers’ Comp Physician Reimbursement Plan

Jun 9 2023 // For the first time in six years, Florida has a new health care provider reimbursement manual, governing workers’ compensation fees for doctors.But the manual already could be considered three years out of date. It...

Climate Change and Homeowners’ Insurance Are on a Collision Course

Jun 9 2023 // A summer that has already seen water crises and wildfire smoke is rapidly becoming an inflection point in the pitched battle between climate change and the price of homeowners’ insurance in the US.American...

Sheriff: Florida Woman Who Fatally Shot Neighbor Was Not Standing Her Ground

Jun 8 2023 // A Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her neighbor last week in the violent culmination of what the sheriff described as a 21/2-year feud was arrested Tuesday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.Susan...

Florida OIR Approves Roof Endorsements That Could Bar Non-Storm Claims

Jun 8 2023 // Despite the Florida Legislature taking major steps to rein in the cost of roof claims and litigation, at least two insurers have come out with broad roof endorsements that seek to bar claims for wear and tear, poor...

Children Rescued from Burning Car While Florida Mom was Shoplifting, Police Say

Jun 7 2023 // Shoppers at a Florida mall managed to pull two children out of a burning car after their mother left them alone while she shoplifted, police said.The vehicle caught fire May 26 outside the Oviedo Mall, just northeast of...

Keys Staffing Firm Owner Gets 32 Months for Illegal Worker Tax Violations

Jun 7 2023 // The owner of several Key West staffing companies is on his way to prison after a federal judge sentenced him to more than two years for hiring unauthorized alien workers and failing to pay taxes on their wages.Batyr...

Florida OIR Hearing Set for Citizens’ Latest Rate Increases

Jun 6 2023 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will hold a rate hearing Thursday, June 8, on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s proposed 12.5% average increase for homeowners and larger increases for other types...

Florida Commissioner Names Two to Top Regulatory Spots

Jun 6 2023 // Florida’s insurance commissioner has appointed two longtime veterans of the department to high-level regulatory positions.Virginia Christy’s name will be familiar to anyone who has read Florida Office of...

Viewpoint: Impact of Florida Tort-Reform Bill Becomes Clear, But Litigation Expected

Jun 6 2023 // On March 24, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law House Bill 837, resulting in the enactment of sweeping tort reform (“the Act”). The Act impacts various aspects of the civil justice system. The most...

Florida Courts Flooded with Claims Suits Ahead of Tort Reform Law

Jun 5 2023 // Just as the plaintiffs’ law firm of Morgan & Morgan warned, the number of Florida lawsuits filed across the state has shattered previous records, topping 280,122 in April, the Florida Bar reported.That’s...

Business Moves

Jun 5 2023 // G&G Independent Insurance, Robbins Insurance GroupG&G Independent Insurance has acquired Branson, Missouri-based Robbins Insurance Group. G&G has been serving the insurance needs of clients in Missouri and...

Karen Clark Report Shows Just What Failed in Ian, Making it Florida’s Costliest Storm

Jun 5 2023 // A granular look at the most expensive hurricane in Florida’s history, written by the catastrophe modeling firm Karen Clark & Co., highlights building practices that had a major impact on the scale of insured...

The 2023 Hurricane Season: Are Insurers Prepared for the Growing Risks?

Jun 2 2023 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic.As the 2023 Hurricane Season approaches, it is crucial for coastal and inland communities alike to understand and prepare for the potential risks associated with...

Exterior Building Panel Industry Differs with KCC on Vulnerability of Systems

Jun 2 2023 // The head of a trade group for the exterior insulated panel industry has taken issue with a recent hurricane report by Karen Clark & Co., arguing that the report failed to point out that some of the products meet the...

Transporting Florida Migrants a New Venture for Investor in Troubled Law Firm

Jun 2 2023 // The owners of a business that loaned McClenny Moseley & Associates $3 million to find clients with hurricane-damaged homes and earn fees by submitting damage estimates to insurers has embarked on a new venture:...

Florida Governor Signs Insurer Accountability, Wind-Mit Discount Bills Into Law

Jun 1 2023 // Florida’s governor this week signed the Insurer Accountability Act and two other bills that put new restrictions on insurers and require premium discounts for homeowners’ wind-mitigation efforts.Senate Bill...

Eight Months After Ian, Struggles Continue for Swamped Florida Residents

May 31 2023 // Eight months ago, chef Michael Cellura had a restaurant job and had just moved into a fancy new camper home on Fort Myers Beach. Now, after Hurricane Ian swept all that away, he lives in his older Infiniti sedan with a...

Florida Judge Slams SFR Contractor for Misrepresentation, Fraud in Tower Hill Case

May 31 2023 // SFR Services, a Florida restoration firm made famous by its volume of claims litigation and its charges that United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. had instructed desk adjusters to alter their estimates, now finds...