Latest Florida Headlines

All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Figures

Jul 2 2007 // 27 The number arrested by Florida officials in an ongoing investigation dubbed “Operation TGIF” because the group perpetrated staged accidents on Fridays. The staged accident ring billed auto insurers more than...

Fla. regulators again irk insurers over credit rule

Jul 2 2007 // Property/casualty insurers are complaining that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is “off the mark” in developing rules implementing a law passed in 2003 addressing insurers’ use of credit...

Insurers: Fla.Consumers Will Benefit at Demise of No-Fault Insurance

Jun 29 2007 // Consumers in Florida will soon see significant cost savings and a more consumer-friendly automobile insurance system when the state’s fraud ridden no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) law sunsets October 1,...

Lanier Upshaw Forms Private Risk Management Group for Florida Market

Jun 28 2007 // Lanier Upshaw has created a practice group tailored to meet the private insurance needs of high net worth clientèle throughout Florida. The group, named Private Risk Management, will insure high value items such as...

Burns and Wilcox Announces Pollution Liability Coverage in Florida

Jun 28 2007 // In Florida, the Tampa and Daytona Beach offices of Burns and Wilcox announced the availability of ACE Westchester Specialty Group’s pollution liability insurance product, as offered through Westchester Surplus Lines...

Fla. Agents Want to Keep Personal Injury Protection

Jun 28 2007 // Insurance agents in Florida are gearing up for a special legislative session on whether to keep the state’s no-fault personal injury protection auto insurance law. Professional Insurance Agents of Florida Government...

Fla. Office of Insurance Regulation Announces Staff Changes

Jun 27 2007 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty recently announced new staff changes for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. “The new additions to our management team give the Office an exceptional combination...

Fla. Coalition: Briny Plan is Recipe for Chaotic Hurricane Evacuation

Jun 27 2007 // The Florida Coalition for Preservation has asked Secretary Thomas Pelham of the Florida Department of Community Affairs to consider a host of costs that will be borne by taxpayers if the agency accepts the...

Fla. Gov. Signs Citizens’ Rate Freeze at Home of Katrina Victims

Jun 27 2007 // In Miami, Florida Governor Charlie Crist ceremonially signed legislation to continue insurance reforms by freezing Citizens Property Insurance rates and implementing additional measures he said will help stabilize the...

Florida Task Force to Hold Meeting in Tallahassee

Jun 27 2007 // In an ongoing effort to improve Citizens’ policyholder and applicant services, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is convening the fifth meeting of the legislatively-created Task Force on Citizens Property...

Fla. CFO Revokes Tampa Bay Agent’s License

Jun 26 2007 // Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink issued an order revoking the license of a Tampa Bay-area insurance agent for exploiting seniors in the sale of annuities. The Department of Financial Services accused Sharon...

Fla. Gov. Launches ‘Shop and Compare Insurance Rates’ Web Site

Jun 26 2007 // Gov. Charlie Crist launched “Shop and Compare Rates” today, a Web site that assists consumers comparing homeowners insurance rates throughout Florida. “Many Florida homeowners find it difficult and...

Citizens’ Forum to Highlight Sinkhole Coverage Change in Florida

Jun 20 2007 // Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will co-host an educational forum with Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, and Rep. John Legg, R-Port Richey, to discuss a change in sinkhole coverage that affects residents in...

Ratings Recap: Travelers, Mapfre (NJ & FL), AXA Art, Progressive (debt)

Jun 19 2007 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of “A+” (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Travelers Insurance Companies and its P/C members. Best also affirmed...

Lessons learned and applied

Jun 18 2007 // Among lessons that local businesses have learned and are putting into practice are: Get a plan. Officials with several Midstate companies that do business along the coast say they are offering training and providing...

News Currents

Jun 18 2007 // Florida and Louisiana take different paths on insurance woes Industry prefers government approach taken by Democrat Blanco over Republican Crist Florida and Louisiana are hurricane-prone states with similar property...

Fla. Supreme Court ruling could set wind-water case precedent

Jun 18 2007 // An insurance company lawyer argued to the Florida Supreme Court earlier this month that his client should not have to pay full policy limits for wind damage to a home destroyed mainly by flooding during Hurricane...

News Currents

Jun 18 2007 // La. and Fla. taking different paths on insurance woes Florida and Louisiana are hurricane-prone states with similar property insurance problems, but their governors are taking wildly different approaches to fixing the...

Private Sector Summit to focus on Florida property insurance market

Jun 18 2007 // Property insurers in Florida are facing a crisis as they try to deal with the impact of drastic changes imposed on them with the recent enactment of HB 1A. How to respond to and manage those mandates will be the focus of...

Staged Accidents Arrests Net 27 in Miami

Jun 15 2007 // Florida officials arrested 27 people in an ongoing investigation dubbed “Operation TGIF” because of staged accidents the group perpetrated on Fridays. The ‘staged accident’ ring billed auto insurers...