Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Homeowners Face Rising Insurance Rates as Climate Change Makes Wildfires, Storms More Common
Oct 16 2023 // A growing number of Americans are finding it difficult to afford insurance on their homes, a problem only expected to worsen because insurers and lawmakers have underestimated the impact of climate change, a new report...
Multifamily in Peril: The Perfect Storm
Oct 16 2023 // The multifamily and rental property industries have faced quite an upheaval over the past few years, the impacts of which are certainly being felt by landlords and property managers. More than one national multifamily...
Florida Supreme Court Declines to Rehear Med Mal Case that Changed Rule on Experts
Oct 13 2023 // The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday declined to rehear a medical malpractice case that has made it easier for insurers and health care providers to challenge a plaintiff’s expert. In University of Florida Board of...
Possible Tornadoes Cause Damage in Parts of Florida
Oct 13 2023 // CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — A storm system that moved across parts of Florida early Thursday left a path of damage to cars, houses and businesses, authorities said. The storms moved north into Citrus County, where...
Integris Expands out of New England, Acquires MedMal Direct in Florida
Oct 13 2023 // Integris Group, a member-owned professional liability insurer based in Connecticut, has agreed to purchase MedMal Direct Insurance Co. and its agency, CorePRO, from Physicians Trust Inc., the firms announced this...
When Florida Insurers Go Bust, it Means Changes in North Carolina Insurance Law
Oct 12 2023 // Insurance department omnibus bills in state legislatures are often seen as housekeeping or budget items that may revise regulatory language, fund insurance department positions or clean up the wording of previous laws. But...
How Alleged Florida Theft Ring Led to Pastor’s ‘Anointed Liquidator’ eBay Account
Oct 11 2023 // A St. Petersburg pastor and head of a drug recovery program, along with his wife, mother and others, is awaiting trial after authorities say he ran a theft ring that stole tools from Home Depot and sold them on eBay for...
Florida Settles Lawsuit, Must Provide Denied COVID Data on Deaths, Vaccines
Oct 11 2023 // TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida will have to provide COVID-19 data to the public again after a former Democratic state representative settled a lawsuit with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis` administration over the...
Despite Reform Laws, Florida Premiums Won’t Drop, Karen Clark & Co. Says
Oct 11 2023 // State laws adopted in 2022 and 2023 may have stemmed excessive claims litigation in Florida, helping to stabilize the distressed property insurance market and slow rate increases. But premiums, which have doubled for some...
Less Red Ink in Florida, 2 New Insurers, and Citizens Wants Commercial Take-outs
Oct 11 2023 // Florida-based insurers still aren’t profitable, overall, but their net losses and underwriting losses are getting smaller. Two more property insurance companies are preparing to enter the Florida market. And the...
Is Mar-a-Lago Worth $1 Billion? Valuations at the Core of Trump’s Fraud Trial
Oct 10 2023 // FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — How much is Donald Trump`s Mar-a-Lago worth? That`s been a point of contention after a New York judge ruled that the former president exaggerated the Florida property`s value when he said...
Sarasota and Ocala Named Florida Housing Hot Spots — Ocala Due to Lower Insurance
Oct 10 2023 // Two areas in Florida have become hot spots for home buying and building, one of them due to higher insurance costs in the rest of the state, according to news and insurance agency reports. Ocala, in the central part of...
Are Florida Workers’ Comp Rates Getting Too Low? Roofers, Insurer Urge Freeze
Oct 6 2023 // Workers’ compensation rates have shrunk to such a low level in Florida, at least for some classifications, that they are causing problems and could be masking issues that will lead to higher premiums in coming years,...
Climate Change Can Cause U.S. Households ‘Significant Financial Strain’
Oct 5 2023 // Households can experience significant financial strain through pressures to income and expenses due to climate hazards, a report from the U.S. Department of Treasury shows. The report, The Impact of Climate Change on...
Florida OIR Approves Another 153,000 Citizens Takeouts; Assumption Rate is Low
Oct 5 2023 // Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation has approved the take out of another 153,000 policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state’s price-controlled residual insurer. Almost half of the takeouts...
Bill Gates-Backed Florida Startup Aims to Turn Oil-Drilling Gas into Useful Methanol
Oct 3 2023 // (Bloomberg) — Semi trailer-sized machines could provide a unique solution to a major source of the fossil fuel industry’s methane problem. Rather than flaring or venting the planet-warming gas into the...
Video Shows Officers Surrounding Bloodied Man During Florida Traffic Stop
Oct 3 2023 // JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A traffic stop captured on video by a bystander shows a handcuffed Black man with swollen eyes and a bloody face sitting on the ground surrounded by officers outside a vehicle in northeast...
Progressive Drops Some Agents, Non-Renews 100,000 HO and DP Policies in Florida
Oct 3 2023 // Almost two years after Progressive Insurance announced it would stop renewing some homeowners policies in Florida, Flo and crew have dropped another 100,000 HO and landlord policies in the state. The insurance giant and...
FEMA Sets Up Free Legal Help for Florida Idalia Victims
Oct 2 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that free legal assistance is now available to help Hurricane Idalia victims in Florida with insurance claims, government benefits and other matters. For people in 16...
NSM Buys Student Insurance Provider Envisage, Based in Florida
Oct 2 2023 // NSM Insurance Group, a global specialty insurance provider, has acquired Florida-based Envisage International, which writes health and travel insurance plans for international students and cultural exchange...
