Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Woman Sues Bank for Declaring She Was Dead
Jul 13 2011 // A Florida woman says she’s having numerous financial troubles because of a bank error that caused Chase Bank USA to declare her dead last November. Wrenella Pierre has filed a lawsuit and Chase officials said Monday...
Henderson Joins AmWINS in Florida
Jul 13 2011 // Wholesale broker AmWINS Group Inc. said that Brian Henderson has joined the company as executive vice president. Henderson joins AmWINS from Peachtree Special Risk Brokers, a division of Brown and Brown Insurance, where he...
Florida Student Given Alcohol by Teacher Sues School Board
Jul 12 2011 // A central Florida high school student is suing the school board, claiming officials should have intervened before his teacher gave him alcohol and then let him drive home drunk. Nineteen year-old Dylan Ferguson said his...
BP Accused of Trying to Limit Gulf Oil Disaster Claims
Jul 12 2011 // Authorities will keep up pressure on BP Plc to ensure it fully compensates victims of last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio said Monday after the company indicated it wants to...
Florida Tweaks Its Workers’ Compensation Law
Jul 8 2011 // A variety of changes to Florida’s workers’ compensation law went into effect July 1. Gov. Rick Scott signed into law CS/HB 1087, a catch-all insurance bill that includes changes relating to workers’...
Florida’s Patriot National Gets $30M in Funding
Jul 8 2011 // Patriot National Insurance Group, a workers’ compensation provider, said it has received $30 million in equity funding from Six Points Investment Partners LLC. Steven M. Mariano, chairman and chief executive officer...
Wells Fargo Acquires Florida Benefits Firm
Jul 7 2011 // Wells Fargo Insurance Services has acquired Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based employee benefits firm, EDIFY, LLC. EDIFY provides employee benefits programs and consulting to mid to large-sized employers. EDIFY CEO Howard...
Reinsurance Prices Flat Except in Catastrophe Regions: Aon
Jul 7 2011 // First quarter catastrophes didn’t halt decreases in most U.S. reinsurance renewal programs, except in regions hard hit by significant catastrophe events, according to a report by a leading reinsurance intermediary....
Florida’s Acentria Acquires Ft. Myers Agency, FHC
Jul 6 2011 // Acentria Insurance is expanding its business into southwest Florida by acquiring Florida Homeowners & Commercial Insurance Agency. Terms were not disclosed. The FHC Insurance Agency in Ft. Myers has been providing...
Florida Reinstates Online Driver Permit Tests for Teens
Jul 6 2011 // Florida teenagers once again will be allowed to take their learner’s permit tests online. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in January halted an online testing pilot program when they determined...
U.S. Wary of Possible Cuba Oil Spill
Jul 5 2011 // With Cuba preparing to explore for oil 60 miles from Florida, the complicated politics of U.S.-Cuba relations are impeding U.S. efforts to get ready in case of a BP-style accident, analysts and oil experts said. The Obama...
Florida Officials Fret Over Home Insurance Assessments
Jul 4 2011 // Two weeks into a new hurricane season, Florida officials are continuing to express their concerns over possible policyholder assessments by Citizens Property Insurance despite the relative financial strength of the...
People
Jul 4 2011 // Brennan J. Paris has been named the new executive vice president of the Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) of Tennessee. He is the sixth executive leader in the history of the association. Prior to joining PIA, Paris...
Florida, Mississippi, Hawaii in Surplus Lines Pact
Jul 4 2011 // Florida, Mississippi and Hawaii have entered into an agreement that will allow them to keep millions of dollars in taxes on surplus lines insurance policies. The agreement was the result of federal legislation – the...
Florida’s Homeowners Choice Names Patel as New CEO
Jul 1 2011 // Homeowners Choice, a Florida-based provider of homeowners’ insurance, has named a familiar executive to be its new chief executive officer. The insurers’ board of directors announced that Paresh Patel, board...
Analysis: Reinsurers at Risk If Hurricane Season Is Big
Jul 1 2011 // A major hurricane landfall in Florida could strain leading global reinsurers that have already been buffeted by brutal tornadoes in the United States and earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand. The biggest reinsurers,...
Lockton Expands Florida Office with Addition of Rivas
Jun 30 2011 // Insurance broker Lockton Companies is expanding its business in Florida with the addition of Ed Rivas. Prior to joining Lockton, Rivas spent 11 years as the director of Human Resources and Safety for Arch Aluminum and...
Florida Court Hears Challenge to Governor’s Freeze of Regulations
Jun 30 2011 // The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in a challenge to Gov. Rick Scott’s suspension of state rulemaking. The case heard Wednesday was filed on behalf of Rosalie Whiley, who is blind. She said the...
Wholesaler S.H. Smith Opens New Florida Office; Appoints Colosimo
Jun 30 2011 // S.H. Smith & Co. has announced it is opening its newest satellite office in Florida. The new office is located in Lake Worth and will be headed up by Albert J. Colosimo, Jr., who has recently been named as a senior...
Florida Agency Employees Charged with Premium Fraud
Jun 29 2011 // Three insurance agency employees have been arrested in Florida for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in auto premiums. Bella Jenkins, Torrance Blake and David Bell, who were employees of the Temple Terrace-based...
