Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Firm to Appeal in Bid for Sunken Spanish Treasure
Sep 23 2011 // U.S. deep-sea explorers must turn over to the Spanish government 17 tons of silver coins and other treasure recovered from a sunken Spanish galleon in 2007, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. But Tampa, Florida-based...
Florida PIP Cost Battle May Extend to Physician Referral Services
Sep 23 2011 // Florida lawmakers are likely to consider whether to curb the use of accident clinic referral hotlines as part of a broader effort to reign in the costs of personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance. Reforming the...
Florida Approves Use of Revised RMS Hurricane Model
Sep 22 2011 // A Florida state panel has approved the use of a new hurricane catastrophe model that is increasing many insurers’ exposure. The Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology has approved the Risk...
Florida Supreme Court Weighs If Public Adjuster Law Limits Free Speech
Sep 22 2011 // Public adjusters would have more access to homeowners in the immediate aftermath of a storm if the Florida Supreme Court rules Florida’s current public adjuster law unconstitutional. The Florida Supreme Court...
AssuredPartners Acquires Kentucky-Based Agency Neace Lukens
Sep 21 2011 // Florida-based AssuredPartners Inc. has acquired the Neace Lukens, a Kentucky-based insurance agency, as part of a plan to build a national insurance brokerage firm. AssuredPartners is a member company of GTCR, a Chicago...
Florida Regulator Slashes Sinkhole Rate Hike, Lowers Others
Sep 20 2011 // Florida residents who have sinkhole insurance through the state-backed property insurer will not have to pay a proposed statewide average 447 percent increase. Citizens Property Insurance Corp. customers will also be...
Florida’s SeaWorld Fights OSHA Findings in Trainer’s Death
Sep 20 2011 // SeaWorld Orlando is fighting $75,000 in penalties from a federal job safety agency following last year’s death of a trainer who was grabbed by a killer whale and dragged under water. A hearing was held for yesterday...
Former Florida Governor Bush Goes into Disaster Response Business
Sep 19 2011 // Jeb Bush, former Florida Governor, has entered into one of the state’s for-profit disaster response businesses. Bush has joined O’Brien’s Response Management Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEACOR...
Florida’s Household Exclusion Upheld
Sep 19 2011 // Florida’s highest court has upheld the so-called “household exclusion” clause in automobile policies that states the injuries suffered by family members residing with an insured driver are not covered...
People
Sep 19 2011 // The Main Street America Group has promoted three officers. The Jacksonville, Florida-based company has tapped Steve Peeters to serve as the company’s chief operating officer. In that capacity, he will oversee the...
Georgia’s Greyling Brokerage Expands to Florida, Appoints Geer
Sep 15 2011 // Atlanta-based Greyling Insurance Brokerage is expanding into Florida. The brokerage has hired Charles Geer to open a new office in West Palm Beach, where he will be responsible for developing new business and handling...
Florida Set to Tackle PIP Auto Insurance Reform Again
Sep 15 2011 // Florida state officials, insurers, medical providers, and consumer groups are preparing to re-examine the state’s no-fault auto insurance law just months after lawmakers failed to resolve the issue. State Insurance...
Florida’s Citizens Faces Critics at Public Hearing Over Sinkhole Rates
Sep 14 2011 // Florida homeowners came by the hundreds in cars and buses to speak out against the state-backed property insurer’s plan to increase sinkhole rates by an average 429 percent. At an unprecedented public hearing in...
Florida’s Citizens to Phase-In Big Sinkhole Insurance Rate Hike
Sep 13 2011 // Florida residents who have sinkhole insurance through the state-backed property insurer will see any premium increases phased-in over a number of years based on a new policy of the insurer. The Citizens Property Insurance...
Board of Florida’s Citizens to Meet Today on Sinkhole Rates
Sep 12 2011 // The board of governors of Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has called for an emergency meeting today to consider phasing in a proposed statewide average 429 percent sinkhole rate increase. Newly-named...
Ex-Rep. Lacasa to Chair Florida’s Citizens Board
Sep 9 2011 // Former state Rep. Carlos Lacasa of Miami is the pick to become the next chairman of the board that oversees the operations of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The 47-year-old Lacasa is replacing Naples...
Some in Florida Want to Opt Out of Chinese Drywall Settlement
Sep 8 2011 // Hundreds of Floridians want to opt out of a proposed $53 million federal settlement over faulty Chinese drywall in hopes of pursuing lawsuits in state courts. Attorneys representing the Florida homeowners planned Wednesday...
Florida Eyes Cash Checking Firms
Sep 5 2011 // Florida officials want an investigation into the role of check cashing services in helping construction subcontractors avoid paying their share of workers’ compensation premiums. Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff...
People
Sep 5 2011 // David J. Bresnahan has been named president of Lexington Insurance Co., the surplus lines unit of Chartis Insurance. He is succeeding Peter Eastwood, who is moving into his new role as president and chief executive officer...
Florida ‘Fraud Dog’ Bringing Insurance Cases to TV
Sep 5 2011 // Insurance fraud is so big it could be getting its own reality television show. The show, called the “Fraud Dog,” is in pilot production, and will star Linda Webb, a former AIG insurance claim executive and...
