All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Apr 24 2023 // A widow and her family are suing Celebrity Cruises for allegedly mishandling her husband’s body after he died while they were on a ship last year, saying it was left to decompose and they suffered extreme emotional...
Apr 21 2023 // The Florida House of Representatives has approved a bill that would stiffen penalties for catalytic converter theft and would make it easier to prove intent. Senate Bill 306 now goes to the governor for his signature.The...
Apr 19 2023 // Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers ratcheted up pressure on Walt Disney World on Monday by announcing legislation that will use the regulatory powers of Florida government to exert unprecedented oversight on the park...
Apr 19 2023 // After five years of tweaks to Florida’s insurance and tort laws, all designed to reduce the vast amount of claims litigation and – eventually – bring down property rates, many in the industry argue that...
Apr 18 2023 // Florida property insurers are preparing for another assessment on premiums to help the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association fund outstanding claims from an insolvent insurer.The 1% emergency assessment on all premium for...
Apr 18 2023 // Bad-faith litigation is a hot topic in Florida following the passage of the new tort-reform measure known as House Bill 837. However, even in the face of reasonable legislative changes, it remains important for insurers...
Apr 17 2023 // In some ways, it was the Florida Man of storms – not quite knowing when to say when.Usually, thunderstorms fizzle out after they run out of rain or get cold air sucked in. But not Wednesday, when the storm that hit...
Apr 17 2023 // The owners of a Fort Myers roofing company, one that has been the subject of a number of complaints from consumers and which has filed multiple assignment-of-benefits lawsuits against property insurers, have pleaded guilty...
Apr 17 2023 // Oakbridge Insurance Agency, a large independent agency and brokerage with offices around the country, has expanded its presence into Florida with the addition of Hunnicutt Insurance agency in Fort Walton Beach. Hunnicutt...
Apr 17 2023 // More than 18 months after he pleaded guilty to absconding with almost $5 million in premiums, a Florida insurance agent has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.John M. Thomas, 52, the former owner of Thomas Insurance...
Apr 14 2023 // Landstar Ranger, a transportation broker based in Jacksonville, sent a truck driver who called himself “James” to pick up cargo in Colorado for delivery to Maryland.A dispatcher authorized the pickup even...
Apr 14 2023 // Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport, schools and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the...
Apr 14 2023 // Less than a year after it announced it would stop writing new business in Florida, commercial carrier Capacity Insurance has been placed under administrative supervision and is now in an orderly runoff.The Florida Office...
Apr 13 2023 // Florida regulators have given a green light to a new homeowners insurance company, the first since state lawmakers took steps in December to rein in costly claims litigation.Tailrow Insurance Co., part of HCI Group, was...
Apr 12 2023 // Bills that would ban assignment of benefits for windshield repairs moved a step closer to becoming law this week after they passed their third and final committee stops. A late amendment to the bills would bar insurance...
Apr 11 2023 // The threat of wildfires is growing in Florida over the coming weeks as more than half the state is experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions likely to persist until rainy season resumes around mid-May, state and...
Apr 10 2023 // The bodies of two men and two women have been recovered following a small plane crash just off Florida’s Gulf Coast, police said Thursday.The plane had just taken off from Venice Airport when it crashed into the Gulf...
Apr 10 2023 // An analysis that was the basis of a highly criticized recommendation from Florida’s surgeon general cautioning young men against getting the COVID-19 vaccine omitted information that showed catching the virus could...
Apr 6 2023 // As trial lawyers and news reports around the state continue to criticize Florida lawmakers for the far-reaching tort-reform passed last month, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee has approved a bill designed to...
Apr 4 2023 // The National Hurricane Center’s report on Hurricane Ian, posted Monday, six months after the storm hit southwest Florida, pegs Ian as the most expensive to hit the Sunshine State, causing twice as much damage as...