Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Nudists Injured in Water Scooter Crash
Jul 29 2011 // Authorities say two people were injured when their water scooter hit a sea wall near Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee. An Osceola County Fire Rescue spokeswoman said the crash happened just before 8 p.m. Sunday. A...
Florida Officials Suspect Fraud in Rash of Kitchen Fires
Jul 29 2011 // Florida officials are investigating a spate of kitchen fires that have some wondering if they may have been started on purpose to receive money from insurance companies. State officials say what used to be a minor problem...
Florida Citizens Proceeds with Bid for 400% Sinkhole Rate Hike
Jul 28 2011 // Florida residents who purchase sinkhole insurance through the state-back Citizens Property Insurance Corp. could be looking at increases of more than 400 percent for the optional coverage next year. By a 4-0 vote, the...
Florida Resurrects Insurance Rate Comparison Web Site
Jul 28 2011 // Florida residents will soon have a Web site tool to help them compare homeowners insurance coverage. The Florida Office on Insurance Regulation is launching an interactive computer program called the Consumer HomeOwners...
Chinese Drywall Supplier Told to Release Insurance Details
Jul 27 2011 // A South Florida judge has ruled that a Miami-based supplier of tainted Chinese drywall must disclose more details about a proposed $55 million class-action settlement. A Broward County judge ruled that Banner Supply Co....
Florida’s Citizens to Seek Big Rate Hike for Sinkholes Today
Jul 27 2011 // Florida’s largest insurer of homes and businesses, state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., will ask its board to approve a sizable premium increase — 400 percent– for providing coverage on...
Alaska Joins State Surplus Lines Coalition
Jul 26 2011 // Members of the Non-Admitted Insurance Multi-State Agreement coalition are proud to welcome Alaska to the NIMA group. Insurance Director Linda Hall signed on behalf of Alaska, which collected $109 million in excess and...
Florida Consumer Chief Backs Double-Digit Hikes for Allstate
Jul 22 2011 // Florida’s consumer advocate says Allstate’s two Florida home insurers are among the state’s best run and deserve double-digit rate increases along the lines they have requested. The Allstate units, Castle...
Florida Names Westcott as Insurance Consumer Advocate
Jul 21 2011 // Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said he is naming Robin Westcott, an attorney and longtime insurance watchdog, to the post of Insurance Consumer Advocate. Westcott began her career in 1993 with the Florida...
Florida Weighs Sale of Top Medical Malpractice Insurer
Jul 21 2011 // One of Florida’s major medical malpractice insurers is seeking state approval to be sold to an out-of-state insurance group with the initial price tag expected to total $365 million. The Florida Office of Insurance...
Florida Returns $12 Million to Policyholders
Jul 20 2011 // Some Florida insurance policyholders stand to recover more than $12 million in refunds thanks to state insurance investigators looking into complaints about unpaid claims and questionable sales. The Division of Agents and...
Turner Named President of Patriot Underwriters in Florida
Jul 19 2011 // Richard G. Turner has been named president of Patriot Underwriters Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Turner was previously executive vice president of parent company Patriot National Insurance Group and will retain these...
Mitigation Inspections Hike Premiums for Insureds of Florida Citizens
Jul 18 2011 // Florida property owners who purchased coverage from the state’s run property insurer have seen their premiums increase by an average $476 as a result of the insuring inspecting their property. Citizens Property...
U.S. Wary of Possible Cuba Oil Spill
Jul 18 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...
People
Jul 18 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...
Analysis: Reinsurers at Risk If Hurricane Season Is Big
Jul 18 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,...
U.S. Wary of Possible Cuba Oil Spill
Jul 18 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...
Business Moves
Jul 18 2011 // Esurance, Security First Esurance, the online car insurance company, said that it is partnering with Security First Insurance Co. as an underwriter to offer homeowners insurance in Florida. The move comes a little more...
Florida Tweaks Its Workers’ Compensation Law
Jul 18 2011 // A variety of changes to Florida’s workers’ compensation law went into effect July 1 after Gov. Rick Scott signed into law CS/HB 1087. The changes affect cancellations, premium audits and prepaid benefit...
Florida Online Teen Driver Training
Jul 18 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...
