Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Unlicensed Contractor, Deputy Sheriff in Florida Charged in Insurance Fraud Cases
Dec 8 2022 // An unlicensed contractor and a deputy sheriff in Florida have been charged in separate incidents of contracting fraud and insurance fraud, state and local authorities said. Ty Lamonte Hillman was arrested this week after...
Florida Ratings Crisis: Fannie and Freddie Agree to Accept Citizens-as-Backstop Plan
Dec 8 2022 // It took more than four months, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have now agreed to accept an innovative but temporary solution to Florida’s property insurer rating predicament. The mortgage-buying giants on Wednesday...
Florida OIR Wants Longer Notice on UPC’s Policy Cancellations for Runoff
Dec 8 2022 // United Property & Casualty Insurance Co., now in the midst of an orderly run-off after years of heavy losses, had planned on giving 60 days’ cancellation notice to policies still in force as of May 31, 2023. But...
Florida Chamber Summit Panelists Confident Lawmakers will Stem Attorney Fees
Dec 7 2022 // If Florida lawmakers had any doubts about what reforms they need to consider at next week’s special legislative session, the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Insurance Summit on Tuesday provided plenty of...
Florida Session Agenda Calls for Claims Process Changes, More Oversight of Insurers
Dec 6 2022 // Florida legislative leaders posted a proclamation Tuesday painting the broad outlines of the special session scheduled to begin Monday, Dec. 12. And it quickly had tongues wagging around the industry. As expected, the...
Florida and Reinsurance – Pulling Back the Covers
Dec 6 2022 // The Florida Legislature will conduct a special session during the week of December 12 focusing on fixes for a failing, flailing insurance market in the state that has reached crisis levels. Symptoms of the crisis include...
SUV crashes into Florida Fireworks Store, Sparking Huge Fire
Dec 6 2022 // A Florida man drove his SUV into a fireworks store last week, sparking a huge fire in a crash that destroyed the building, authorities said. The driver was killed. The 53-year-old driver had rear-ended another vehicle...
Disbarred Florida Attorney Indicted on Racketeering Charges in NFL Cases
Dec 5 2022 // A workers’ compensation claimants’ attorney and injury lawyer who represented NFL players in concussion litigation has been indicted for allegedly swindling millions of dollars from his clients, the latest...
Demotech Likely Won’t Rate Any New Florida Insurers, Petrelli Says
Dec 5 2022 // The head of the Demotech insurance rating firm said the company likely won’t take on new clients in Florida, due to the turbulent insurance market and an outcry from state officials last summer. The Business Observer...
Update: Pickleball Explosion in Florida Creating New Hits and Misses for Insurers, Agents
Dec 5 2022 // If the insurance industry hasn’t noticed, the sport known as pickleball is exploding across the country, especially in Florida, where more than 15 indoor clubs, replete with air conditioning, cafes, locker rooms,...
View from Defense Counsel’s Office: Hope on the Horizon for Florida Insurers?
Dec 2 2022 // Despite recent hurricanes in Florida, continued insurance claims litigation, and steadily rising reinsurance rates, insurers and reinsurers have reason to be optimistic about the next few years. Due to a variety of...
Update: Florida Consultant on Demotech Alternatives Faced Issues in Other States
Dec 1 2022 // A Mississippi-based consulting firm hired to figure out Florida’s insurance company financial rating conundrum has faced scrutiny in other states after audits found improper disbursement of funds, long delays in...
Florida Supreme Court Approves Suspension of Mobile Claims Center Attorney
Nov 30 2022 // The Florida Supreme Court has approved the emergency suspended the law license of North Fort Myers attorney Jennifer Perez, who was in charge of a “mobile claim center” that was set up in a trailer in North...
Florida Amusement Park Fined $250,000 After Teen’s Fatal Fall
Nov 30 2022 // The operator of an Orlando amusement park ride from which a Missouri teenager fell to his death should pay a $250,000 fine and can never hold a ride permit in Florida again, state officials said Tuesday. Fourteen-year-old...
It’s On: Florida Special Session on Insurance Slated for Dec. 12-16
Nov 29 2022 // It hasn’t been made official by the governor’s office, but Florida legislative leaders have set a date for a second special session to tackle property insurance issues – Dec. 12 through Dec. 16. Memos from...
Four Florida Cities in Top 10 Most Dangerous for Pedestrians, Affecting Insurance Costs
Nov 29 2022 // Six of the top 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians are in the Southeast and four of those are in Florida, according to a report from an advocacy group that works for better planning and safer transportation...
Hurricane Ian Runoff May Be Worsening Red Tide on Florida’s SW Coast
Nov 29 2022 // Scientists are saying a red tide bloom that’s lingered along the coast for a few weeks is now being fed by nutrients running off the landscape in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Red tide (Karenia brevis) is a naturally...
Central Florida’s Insurance Land Joins Renaissance Alliance
Nov 28 2022 // Insurance Land, an independent agency with offices in Sanford and Deland, Florida, has joined the Renaissance Alliance network of agencies, the firm said in a news release. The agency, in business since 1984, offers...
Grants for Home Hardening Now Available Under Florida Wind-Mit Program
Nov 23 2022 // Florida officials this week announced the hard launch of My Safe Florida Home, a program that provides up to $10,000 grants for wind-mitigation efforts for homeowners in vulnerable areas. Once completed, the fortification...
‘Stronger Than the Surge:’ Florida Businesses, Residents Rebuilding after Ian
Nov 21 2022 // For Sara Lee Brinks, Ian was the first hurricane she’s ever experienced. Originally from Michigan, the owner of Pine Island’s Frozen Flip Flop said that at first, she wasn’t worried about Ian, but it...
