Latest Florida Headlines

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

21st Century Holding Co. Unveils Q3 Report

Nov 11 2004 // Florida-based 21st Century Holding Co. reported results for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2004. For the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2004, the company reported net loss of $13,754,082, or $2.32 per share on 5,925,952 undiluted...

Fla. Investigation: Brown & Brown Says It Carefully Monitors Brokers

Nov 10 2004 // Brown & Brown Inc. is confident that twin investigations of the insurance industry by Florida officials will reveal no wrongdoing by the Daytona Beach-based company or its brokers, its president says. Jim Henderson,...

Judge Rules Against Mutual Benefits In Favor of SEC

Nov 10 2004 // A federal magistrate judge late today upheld findings by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that Mutual Benefits Corporation (MBC), the nation’s largest viatical settlement company, engaged in...

Fla. Agent Faces Charges For Misappropriating Funds

Nov 9 2004 // A Wauchula, Fla. property insurance agent who served customers in Hardee, Polk and DeSoto counties is facing several felony charges stemming from allegations that he stole insurance premiums from homeowners and never...

Mass. Insurance Chief Eyes Northeast Cat Fund

Nov 9 2004 // Part of the coastal property insurance solution for Cape Cod and other seaside communities in Massachusetts could lie beyond the state’s own borders. Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Julianne Bowler, in remarks...

Fla. Subpoenas Marsh; Hurricane Victims Could Receive Extension

Nov 9 2004 // In an effort to obtain a better look at insurance contracts with state agencies and any impact on public dollars, Tom Gallagher, Florida Chief Financial Officer, has subpoenaed Marsh & McLennan for documents related...

Big ‘I’ Panelists Concerned About Terrorism, Asbestos, Tort Reform

Nov 8 2004 // Terrorism, asbestos and tort reform will be key industry concerns according to five insurance company CEOs participating in a panel discussion during last month’s Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of...

FLA. CONTRACTORS MUST MEET WORKERS’ COMP REQUIREMENTS:

Nov 8 2004 // In response to reportedly hundreds of calls from homeowners and construction contractors, both in and out-of-state, concerned about Florida requirements for workers’ compensation insurance coverage, the Florida...

ISO: INSURERS WILL PAY ESTIMATED $3.245 BILLION ON HURRICANE JEANNE CLAIMS:

Nov 8 2004 // U.S. property/casualty insurers are expected to pay homeowners and businesses an estimated $3.245 billion for insured property losses from Hurricane Jeanne, according to preliminary estimates by ISO’s Property Claim...

Fla. AG Launches Widespread Anti-Trust Probe, 10 Subpoenas Issued

Nov 6 2004 // Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist has issued subpoenas seeking documents and records from 10 firms and anticipates sending six more subpoenas out next week as insurance industry investigations widen. Crist is...

Florida Doctors, Lawyers At Odds Over Effects of Malpractice Amendments

Nov 5 2004 // After years of fighting over medical malpractice, doctors and lawyers who represent victims aren’t going to declare peace just because voters approved a few new amendments in the Florida Constitution. Both groups of...

Gallagher Assigns Taskforce to Investigate Florida Insurance Transactions

Nov 4 2004 // A task force has been established by Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher in an effort to determine whether activities uncovered by New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer exist in Florida. The establishment of...

AIR Analysis Says 2004 Hurricane Season Not So Unusual After All

Nov 3 2004 // According to an analysis conducted by AIR Worldwide (AIR), a risk modeling company, the 2004 hurricane season should not be considered rare. The analysis, based on the AIR hurricane model, revealed that insurers should...

Florida’s Amendment 2 Means Lawyers Will Get Less for Malpractice Cases

Nov 3 2004 // Voters handed victories to both sides Tuesday in the war between Florida doctors and lawyers, adopting a hotly contested constitutional amendment backed by Florida doctors but also endorsing two amendments pushed by...

Fla. Refund Plan Nets $1.7 Million

Nov 2 2004 // Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher announced that more than 1,200 Central Florida residents have received a total of $1.7 million under a refund plan for consumers who paid for various insurance products...

Independent Agents Unsure About Florida Amendment 3

Nov 2 2004 // With all the publicity about the presidential race, Florida’s Amendment 3 and other amendments on the ballot have taken a backseat and how they are decided could have far-reaching effects on the insurance agents...

Miss. Trustmark Bank to Acquire Fisher-Brown Agency

Nov 2 2004 // Trustmark Corporation, parent of Jackson, Miss.-based Trustmark National Bank, announced today it will acquire Fisher-Brown Inc., an insurance agency in northwest Florida. Fisher-Brown will become a wholly owned subsidiary...

Fla. OIR Disapproves Workers’ Comp Rates

Oct 29 2004 // Florida Commissioner of Insurance Regulation Kevin McCarty, this week, disapproved the latest workers’ compensation rate filing because the decrease in rates was reportedly not enough. McCarty ordered the National...

PCI Urges Measured Legislative Response During Upcoming Special Fla. Session

Oct 28 2004 // The best way for the Florida legislature to respond to this year’s devastating hurricane season is to take a thoughtful and rational approach when considering measures to improve the current well-designed strategy...

Fla. Gov. Bush Reveals More Reimbursement Details

Oct 27 2004 // After Hurricane Frances ripped open the roof of Lisa and Glenn Perrone’s St. Lucie County home, an insurance adjuster told the Perrones they were on the hook for an $8,315 deductible. And after Hurricane Jeanne...