Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Heritage Revokes 14.9% Rate Increase Filing for Florida Homeowners
Jul 13 2016 // After review by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) and much criticism from Florida stakeholders, Florida-based Heritage Property & Casualty Company has withdrawn its request for an overall 14.9 percent...
Florida Uber Driver Arrested for Refusing Ride to Blind Man, Service Dog
Jul 12 2016 // An Uber driver in Florida was arrested after deputies say he refused to transport a group of blind people and their service dogs. According to news outlets, citing an arrest report, 60-year-old Simon Pierre Andre Nau was...
Passengers Barely Escape as Florida Sinkhole Opens Under Car
Jul 12 2016 // A woman and her 4-year-old grandson got a big scare when their SUV was partially swallowed by a 10-foot-by-10-foot sinkhole near the drive-thru of a South Florida McDonald’s. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman...
Probe of Tesla Crash to Address Broader Safety Issues of Automation in Cars
Jul 11 2016 // For years, U.S. investigators have been calling for more automation on motor vehicles, such as sensors that slam on the brakes to prevent a crash. At the same time, the National Transportation Safety Board, in its probes...
Florida Agents Putting New Law to Work to Attract Millennials to Insurance Careers
Jul 11 2016 // Florida insurance agents are trying to bolster the industry’s track record in attracting college graduates by employing a new state law that aligns college courses with the state’s licensing requirements. The...
With 2016 Hurricane Season Underway, Florida AOB Storm Mounting
Jul 11 2016 // As hurricane season rolls on in Florida, one of the best protections against storms is a strong homeowner/insurance agent relationship. Having the right policy is just the start. Agents can help homeowners protect...
NCCI Proposes Nearly 20% Florida Workers Comp Rate Increase
Jul 5 2016 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) announced July 1 that the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) filed an amended rate filing to address a third legal change affecting Florida’s...
Florida Woman Sentenced to 4 Years for Stealing 652 Identities
Jul 5 2016 // A woman in Broward County, Fla., will spend four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing more than 600 stolen identities that were used to steal tax returns and in fraud. Laveisha Dorray Charles-Coldros...
GEICO Files RICO Lawsuit in Florida Over Alleged Fraudulent Claims
Jul 1 2016 // GEICO has sued five Florida companies and six known individuals engaged in what it said was a complex scheme to submit hundreds of suspected fraudulent glass repair bills for payment. In the case, Government Employees...
Senate Zika Funding Fails as Democrats Balk at Strings Attached
Jun 29 2016 // Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked Republicans’ plan to partially fund President Barack Obama’s request for funding to tackle the Zika virus and attach it to other items Democrats dismissed as partisan,...
USG’s Program Division Makes Staff Changes to Jacksonville, Florida Office
Jun 27 2016 // Allied American Underwriters, a division of USG Insurance Services, Inc., has hired Valarie MacDonald as producer/broker, and Denise Brown as production assistant. In addition to these new hires, AAU has promoted Dasha...
Prime Property & Casualty Expands into Florida Commercial Auto Market
Jun 24 2016 // Prime Property and Casualty Insurance Inc. (PPCI) has expanded into the Florida commercial auto market as an admitted carrier specializing in insurance products for distressed and substandard risks. PPCI is able to insure...
For Disney in Florida, Capturing ‘Nuisance’ Alligators Is Normal Part of Business
Jun 24 2016 // Walt Disney Co. has had more than 240 “nuisance” alligators captured and killed over the last 10 years at its Florida theme park property, according to state records. The records reveal the park’s...
Florida Workers’ Comp Fraud Sting Ends with 8 Arrests
Jun 23 2016 // A multi-agency undercover workers’ compensation sting in Polk County, Fla., led by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF), led to the arrests of eight individuals,...
Florida’s Citizens Says AOB Abuse to Blame for Statewide Rate Increase of 6.8%
Jun 23 2016 // Citizens Board of Governors has approved recommended rates for 2017 that equal an average rate increase of nearly 7 percent statewide. The company said the increase is a necessary response to rising non-weather water...
Vertafore Expands Comparative Rating System Into Florida Property Market
Jun 22 2016 // Vertafore, a provider of insurance technology, has added several new homeowner carriers to their flagship comparative rating system PL Rating, expanding the company’s reach into the Florida property market. Since its...
Integro Acquires Equine Broker Jerry Parks Insurance Group in Florida
Jun 22 2016 // International broker and risk management firm Integro Insurance Brokers has added to its livestock coverage capabilities with the acquisition of Ocala, Florida-based corporations Jerry Parks Equine Insurance, Inc. and...
A New Market For Distressed Commercial Auto Risks In Florida
Jun 21 2016 // Chicago, IL, June 21, 2016 – Prime Property and Casualty Insurance Inc. (“PPCI”) has rolled into the Florida commercial auto market as a bold new admitted carrier specializing in insurance solutions for...
Orlando Victims Watching Sandy Hook Gun Manufacturer Liability Case Opening Today
Jun 20 2016 // A case in Connecticut state court could help victims from mass shootings — including the recent massacre in Orlando — sue manufacturers of military style assault rifles used in the attacks, despite state and...
Florida Theme Parks Review Safety Policies After Fatal Alligator Attack
Jun 20 2016 // It’s an unwritten rule for Florida residents: Keep your kids away from ponds and lakes because alligators are everywhere. But after a gator killed a 2-year-old Nebraska boy at a Walt Disney World resort, attention...
