Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Why the Investor-Driven Hard Reinsurance Market Will Persist
Jul 17 2023 // Reinsurers will continue to command adequate rates for property-catastrophe in 2024, even if the market comes through hurricane season unscathed, reinsurance company executives said. Kevin O’Donnell, president and...
Construction-Defect Subrogation on the Rise But it Just Became More Difficult in Florida
Jul 17 2023 // Florida lawmakers this year approved a law that could help reduce liability insurance premiums for home and condo builders – and limit exposure and litigation for liability insurers. But Senate Bill 360, which took...
Fire Kills Almost Every Animal at Florida Wildlife Center
Jul 14 2023 // An early morning fire on Thursday killed nearly all the animals at a wildlife center in Florida, officials said. News outlets reported the fire broke out around 3 a.m. Thursday at the Alligator and Wildlife Discovery...
Florida Sinkhole That Swallowed Sleeping Man Reopens, This Time Harmlessly
Jul 14 2023 // A Florida sinkhole that in 2013 fatally swallowed a man sleeping in his own house has reopened for a third time, only now it`s behind chain-link fencing and doing no harm to people or property. Hillsborough County...
Florida High Court Rule Change Seen as a Win for Med Mal Insurers
Jul 14 2023 // Like a sports league deciding to make greater use of in-game instant replay on crucial calls, the Florida Supreme Court has made it a little easier for hospitals and other medical malpractice defendants to challenge expert...
Order Up: Next Florida Citizens Takeout Deadline is July 28
Jul 13 2023 // Florida regulators are reminding carriers that the deadline to participate in the November round of takeouts from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is fast approaching. Carriers must submit an application by July 28, the...
Florida Boy Dies After Dog Attack, Ahead of New Law That Bars Local Bans on Pit Bulls
Jul 12 2023 // A 6-year-old Florida boy has died after he was attacked by a pit bull-mix dog that lived in the same home. The North Port Police Department said the boy suffered extensive injuries to his upper torso and was flown to...
Water Damage Exclusions, on the Rise, May Frustrate Insureds but Are OK, Court Says
Jul 12 2023 // A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court ruling that a Scottsdale Insurance commercial policy for a community center excludes almost all non-weather water damage. It’s the type of “infuriating”...
Farmers Insurance Further Reducing Florida Business
Jul 11 2023 // One month after it announced it would stop writing new homeowner policies in Florida, Farmers Insurance now says it plans to cut back further on its presence in the hurricane-prone state. The Florida Office of Insurance...
Florida Insurers Show a Little Profit in 2023 But Two Join the Watch List
Jul 11 2023 // Florida’s beleaguered insurance industry may have turned a corner in 2023, with net income in the black for the first time since 2016 and much smaller underwriting losses than in recent years, according to state...
Appeals Panel Says CCC Software Does Not Violate Florida Law in Auto Claims
Jul 7 2023 // An insurer that used CCC Intelligent Solutions software to determine the payout for a claimant’s vehicle did not violate a Florida law that sets forth only three methods that auto insurers may use to determine actual...
Appetite for Cat Exposures Returns; Reinsurers Stay Disciplined in Mid-Year Renewals
Jul 6 2023 // Capacity was more readily available during the mid-year renewals, which brokers described as “orderly,” in comparison to the turbulent January renewals. At the same time, prices saw some moderating trends while...
Analytics Company Says Law Firms Using Google Searches to Drive Litigation
Jul 6 2023 // National law firms are investing $10 million to $12 million annually each to direct Google searches to websites that they control in an effort to find new clients to file lawsuits against insurance companies, according to...
Fla. High Court: 2-Year Statute of Repose Applies, Even in Liability Insurance Suits
Jul 5 2023 // A Florida Supreme Court decision has put to rest some questions about whether a statute of limitations on lawsuits can be extended just because the insurance carrier is a party being sued. It cannot, the court held last...
Florida Injury Attorney Arrested in Homicide of his Father in Boca Raton
Jul 3 2023 // A south Florida injury attorney, suspended from practice this year over alleged financial irregularities, has been charged with murdering his father, Boca Raton lawyer Paul Labiner. News outlets and the Palm Beach County...
Parkland Deputy’s Acquittal Shows Florida Has No ‘Cowardice Under Fire’ Law
Jul 3 2023 // When Florida prosecutors charged former Deputy Scot Peterson for his alleged inaction during the 2018 Parkland school massacre, they faced a major hurdle: no law precisely fit. So it was not a surprise to legal observers...
People & Places
Jul 3 2023 // National Linda Johnson Global reinsurance broker Gallagher Re appointed Linda Johnson vice chairperson for its North American team. Johnson will be responsible for producing new business for large casualty and structured...
Florida Regulators Approve Roof Endorsements That Bar Non-Storm Claims
Jul 3 2023 // Despite the Florida Legislature taking major steps to rein in the cost of roof claims and litigation, at least two insurers have come out with broad roof endorsements that seek to bar claims for wear and tear, poor...
Florida Agents Optimistic About the Market – and They Don’t Fear the A.I. Reaper
Jul 3 2023 // Just as some California insurance agents are expressing grave concerns about the future of that state’s insurance market, a number of Florida agents feel like they’ve turned something of a corner. “Things...
Bad Press, Claims Issues, Soaring Premiums Giving Industry Another Black Eye?
Jul 3 2023 // It’s no secret that the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry does not always enjoy a sterling reputation among consumers. As one insurance professor recently put it, the industry’s rank in public opinion...
