Yearly Archives: <span>2006</span>

The no-fault deadline decision

In 2006, Florida legislators will make the biggest decision affecting automobile insurance that any legislature has had to make in 35 years, specifically, whether to re-enact or sunset the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, and the legislature is speedily approaching …

Dale expands Miss. hurricane mediation program

Of the 165 conferences scheduled since mid-February, Dale said 103 were settled before the conference was held, 42 were settled at the meeting and 20 reached impasses. Mississippi Insurance Com-missioner George Dale has expanded the Hurricane Katrina mediation program for …

Southeast states lagging in legal system fairness rankings by Chamber of Commerce

Southeast states didn’t fare well in the latest U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranking of states’ civil justice systems. North Carolina came in as number 10 in the top 10 favorites; while West Virginia was at the bottom of the list. …

Independent agents score a victory on SB 2006

Independent insurance agents scored a victory in the Florida Legislature March 30 during the Florida Association of Insurance Agents Legis-lative “Fly-in,” as it was announced that SB 2006/HB 145, which repeals joint and several liability, was approved after a decades-long …

Safeco weighs Internet sales of auto insurance

Seattle-based property and casualty insurer Safeco is considering direct marketing its automobile insurance business on the Internet to reach additional consumers that don’t like to deal with a middle-man and purchase insurance through agents. According to Paul Hollie, Safeco spokes-man, …

Insurance professionals must keep up their credentials and education

Insurance professionals must keep up their credentials and education if they want to combat outsourcing and off-shoring of insurance industry jobs, Don Hurzeler, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society immediate past president, told members of the Suncoast Chapter of CPCU at …

FLA. CONDO OWNERS FACE POSSIBLE CITIZENS RATE HIKE

Citizens Property In-surance Corp. plans to seek a rate increase for commercial residential associations, primarily condos, to keep up with increasing premiums in the private market. Citizens writes wind coverage for customers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to buy it …

Coalition supports CAT Fund bill

A coalition of insurance organizations, bankers, realtors and home builders are petitioning state lawmakers to support SB 98/HB 279, an effort by Sen. J. D. Alexander and Rep. Kim Berfield to protect Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe fund with a constitutional amendment. …

FAIA briefs agents about Florida bills, holds meetings with legislators

More than 120 of Florida’s independent agents who attended the March 29 and 30 Florida Independent Insurance Agents Legislative “Fly-In” heard Skip Long, Scott Johnson, Laura Pearce and Kyle Ulrich outline the pros and cons of legislation being considered in …

Fraud Roundup

A Miami-Dade County man was arrested for practicing dentistry without a license and submitting fraudulent Medicaid claims, according to Florida’s Attorney General Charlie Crist. Orlando Sotolongo Guarton allegedly posed under the name of an actual licensed dentist, Dr. Lorenzo Puentes, …