Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Cat Fund Has $13 Billion As Hurricane Season Starts
May 16 2014 // Florida is heading into hurricane season with good news. The state-created fund that backs up private insurers in Florida appears to be in very good financial shape again this year. New projections show that the Florida...
United Insurance to Acquire Florida’s Sunshine State Insurance
May 16 2014 // United Insurance Holdings Corp. (UPC) has agreed to acquire 100 percent of Sunshine State Insurance Co. (SSIC), a Florida domiciled property/casualty insurance company. SSIC, based in Jacksonville, Fla., offers homeowners,...
Florida Gov. Scott to Veto 75 mph Speed Limit Bill
May 15 2014 // Responding to pleas from highway troopers and the state’s sheriffs, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday he will veto a bill that could increase the speed limit on Florida highways from 70 to 75 mph. Scott said that...
Florida Hospital Says Workers Test Negative for Middle East Virus
May 14 2014 // Two Florida hospital workers suspected of exposure to a potentially lethal Arabian virus have tested negative for the disease, a hospital spokesman said. A Saudi Arabian patient who was confirmed to be infected with Middle...
MERS Virus Suspected in Illnesses of 2 Florida Hospital Workers
May 13 2014 // Two workers at the Florida hospital where federal officials reported a case of a potentially lethal Arabian virus have fallen ill after coming into contact with the patient. One of the workers has been hospitalized and...
Brown & Brown Buys 2 Florida Agencies Targeting RV Market
May 13 2014 // Insurance agency Brown & Brown has acquired the assets of two agencies specializing in the recreational vehicle market. The businesses acquired are Agency Management Corp. (AMC) and its affiliate, Recreational...
Florida Court: ‘Exploding Corpse’ Not Covered Under Property Policy
May 8 2014 // A Florida circuit court has found that a condominium owner’s property policy did not include coverage for the “explosion” of an advanced decompose body since it did not fall under a name peril listed in...
Florida AG Finds Way to Fund Drug Database to Fight ‘Pill Mills’
May 8 2014 // Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is keeping the state’s prescription drug database up and running after state legislators decided against funding it. The Florida Legislature did not set aside any money for the...
MEMIC Group Appoints Austin to VP of Underwriting Post in Florida
May 7 2014 // Workers’ compensation insurer The MEMIC Group has appointed Tod Austin as a vice president of underwriting. Austin will work out of MEMIC’s Tampa, Florida, office and will oversee production underwriting staff...
Mariners General Names Mallard to Head Florida Operation
May 6 2014 // Mariners General Insurance Group has named Richard Mallard to assume operations of the company’s regional office in Bradenton, Florida. Mariners Insurance provides insurance for boats, yachts and marine...
Florida Supreme Court Leaves PIP Reforms Intact
May 5 2014 // The Florida Supreme Court has declined to review the state’s no-fault automobile insurance personal injury protection (PIP) reforms that were designed to lower the cost of the coverage by targeting fraud and...
People – Southeast
May 5 2014 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers (Big “I”) recently awarded agent Cloyce Anders of North Carolina with the Woodworth Memorial Award, the highest honor the association bestows on one of its...
Florida Revises Insurer Solvency Review Process
May 4 2014 // The Florida legislature has approved legislation setting out new insurer solvency requirements while also requiring individuals to disclose information about any affiliated company. Sponsored by Senator David Simmons...
Bill to Raise Florida Speed Limit to 75 mph Goes to Gov. Scott
May 1 2014 // The speed limit on Florida highways would increase from 70 to 75 mph under a bill the House narrowly passed, despite arguments that it would lead to more deaths. The measure passed on a 58-56 vote and now goes to Gov. Rick...
Hundreds Rescued From Flooding in Florida Panhandle, Coastal Alabama
May 1 2014 // People were plucked off rooftops or climbed into their attics to get away from fast-rising waters when nearly 2 feet of rain fell on the Florida Panhandle and Alabama coast in the span of about 24 hours, the latest bout of...
Burns & Wilcox Announces 2 Hires for New Florida Office
May 1 2014 // Burns & Wilcox Brokerage has hired Joe Gajewski and Clay Kadlic for its newly opened Tampa, Florida, office. In his new role as vice president at Burns & Wilcox Brokerage, Gajewski will lead the new Tampa office...
Florida Lawmakers Pass Homeowners’ Rights Bill With Credit Restriction
May 1 2014 // Insurers in Florida could not use credit information to deny a claim or cancel a policy under a bill now headed to the desk of Florida Gov. Rick Scott. The Florida House voted unanimously for a bill that would also create...
Evanick Joins Ted Todd Insurance in Florida
May 1 2014 // Teodora Evanick has joined the Ted Todd Insurance Agency at its corporate headquarters in Bonita Springs, Florida. She will manage the agency’s day-to-day accounting activities. Initial responsibilities include...
Florida House Nixes Shifting Citizens Policies to Surplus Lines
Apr 30 2014 // The Florida House has rejected a proposal that could shift homeowners away from the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance and into private surplus lines insurers. The Florida Senate last week narrowly voted for a...
Severe Weather Continues; Florida, Alabama Suffer Flooding
Apr 30 2014 // The Florida Panhandle and the Alabama Gulf Coast are dealing with severe flooding from torrential rains as a storm system continues to batter the Southeast. The death toll from the dozens of tornadoes, heavy rains and...
