Latest Florida Headlines

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

Oakbridge Expands into Florida with Hunnicutt Insurance Agency

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...

Florida Insurance Agent Sentenced to 14 Years for Premium Fraud

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...

Federal Law Preempts Stolen Cargo Claim by Insurer Against Florida Transport Broker

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...

Torrential Rain Floods Parts of South Florida, Closing Schools, Airport, Rail Service

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...

Florida Commercial Insurer Capacity Insurance Now in Runoff, OIR Order Says

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...

HCI Launching New Florida HO Insurer After Go-Ahead From Regulators

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...

Florida Windshield Bill Moves Closer to Law; Amendment Allows Managed Repair Plans

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...

Wildfire Threat Grows as Florida Drought Worsens

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...

Four Dead in Plane Crash off Florida’s Gulf Coast

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...

Florida Officials Cut Key Data from Vaccine Study, Report Finds

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...

Altering Adjusters’ Reports a No-No Under Florida Insurer Accountability Bill

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...

NHC Report Ranks Ian as Costliest Florida Hurricane, Shows Forecasting, Storm Surge

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...

Florida DWC Gives Long-Awaited Nod to Surgical Center Reimbursement Manual

Apr 3 2023 // After almost three years of hearings, workshops and debate between insurers and medical centers, the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation has given final approval to the 2020 reimbursement manual for ambulatory...

Florida Governor Turns Heads with Comment that Citizens Insurance is ‘Not Solvent,’ Just as Board Approves Catastrophe Bond

Apr 3 2023 // Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised some questions when he suggested that Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-created insurer, has “not been solvent” and may be unable to pay all claims from a major...

Whipped Cream Vodka Not so Sweet for Florida Woman Linked to False Insurance Claims

Mar 31 2023 // A broken bottle of whipped cream-flavored vodka may have turned into a just dessert for an Orlando-area woman who allegedly filed false insurance claims.Florida authorities announced Thursday that Anita Jovic, of Seminole...

Florida Regulators Now Reviewing Rate Hikes of 14%, 62% and 103%

Mar 31 2023 // Three Florida insurance carriers, one large and two small, are seeking approval for major rate increases, with one condominium policy increase as high as 103%.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s board of...

Toxic Connection Not Proven, Appeals Court Finds in Florida Cancer Suit vs. Raytheon

Mar 30 2023 // In closely watched and widely publicized toxic-tort litigation that has percolated through the courts for more than a decade, federal appeals judges this week underscored the strict standard that expert witnesses are held...

In Filing With Regulators, Florida Citizens Wants Appraisers to Be Licensed Adjusters

Mar 28 2023 // Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has weighed in on a question that could shake up the appraisal process in Florida insurance claims disputes, urging state regulators to require that appraisers be licensed adjusters.In a...

Unlicensed Roofing Contractor in Florida Charged After Soliciting Homeowners

Mar 27 2023 // Florida authorities on Friday charged a man with unlicensed contracting, insurance fraud and failing to obtain workers’ compensation coverage on his workers, after he solicited Tampa-area homeowners for roof...

25,000 Lawsuits by Today? Florida Plaintiff Firms Rushing to File Before Tort-Reform Bill Signed into Law

Mar 23 2023 // The Florida Senate approved a take-no-prisoners tort-reform bill Thursday and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law Friday.The bill, which extends limits on one-way attorney fees, assignments of benefits, and other...