Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
OSHA Fines Florida Utility $500,000 for Power Plant Deaths of Five Workers
May 9 2022 // A Florida power company has agreed to pay a $500,000 fine for a 2017 explosion that left five workers dead. Tampa Electric Co. has pleaded guilty to violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard,...
Another Florida Insurer Adds Binding Arbitration Endorsement Amid Losses
May 9 2022 // Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Co. reported more losses for the first quarter of 2022 and a spike in its combined ratio. But company officials said Friday they are taking aggressive steps, including rate...
Walgreens Settles Florida Opioid Lawsuit for $683 Million
May 6 2022 // The Walgreens pharmacy company has reached a $683 million settlement with the state of Florida, halting a trial over state claims that the company improperly dispensed millions of painkillers that contributed to the opioid...
With Inadequate Natural Catastrophe Prices, Swiss Re Gives Florida a Wide Berth
May 6 2022 // Premium rates for natural catastrophe risks in Florida continue to be inadequate, which is why Swiss Re is giving that market a wide berth — for the time being, at least. “Historically we believe the Florida...
Florida Governor Said to Be Eyeing Texas-Style Litigation Law for Special Session
May 6 2022 // With Florida lawmakers set to convene in less than three weeks to face the swirling winds of the state’s property insurance crisis, Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to unveil a draft of the reform legislation he would like...
Seaglass Opens Workers Comp MGA in Florida
May 5 2022 // Seaglass Insurance Group, with offices in Estero, Florida, is a new managing general agent offering workers’ comp insurance through a national carrier, along with risk management and safety programs. Austin Seaglass...
New Agency Forms in Florida
May 5 2022 // Sentry Insurance Partners is a new, full-service agency based in Miami, with an office in Coral Gables, its principals said in a news release. The firm was founded by Andy Fajardo, a certified marine insurance...
Another Strems Law Firm Attorney Suspended by Florida Supreme Court
May 4 2022 // Fallout from the infamous Strems Law Firm’s litigation practices in Florida continues. Two years after Coral Gables plaintiffs’ attorney Scot Strems was suspended from practice for filing thousands of...
Rating Firms Urge Florida Lawmakers to Take Swift Action on Litigation, Cat Fund
May 3 2022 // Two insurance company rating firms have joined the call for Florida lawmakers to approve decisive measures to stave off financial disaster for more property insurers. Legislation passed in 2019 and 2021, designed to deter...
Medical Marijuana Industry Booming in Florida in Last Two Years
May 3 2022 // As in other states that have legalized medical marijuana, Florida has seen a huge increase in doctors, users and dispensary businesses in the last few years, thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Cannabis is one...
Florida Man Charged with Fraud After Claiming He Was in Uber Crash
May 2 2022 // A South Florida man has been charged in connection with what appears to be a new twist on auto insurance fraud. State and local authorities said that Victor Van Vickery, 33, of Delray Beach, claimed to be in a Uber ride...
People: Florida OIR’s Phillips Moves to Branch, Epic Hires Kennedy
May 2 2022 // Kennedy Joins EPIC’s Vanbridge EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a property and casualty insurance brokerage, announced that James Kennedy has joined the firm as a principal with Vanbridge, its financial...
Coming Soon: A Florida Special Session on Insurance. But Will it Come Soon Enough?
May 2 2022 // Florida’s governor has said he plans to call a special legislative session for some time in May, aimed at the property insurance crisis in the state. But some in the industry, while welcoming the gathering, said it...
Florida’s Largest, Universal P&C, Sheds Policies, Shows Improved Bottom Line
Apr 29 2022 // Amid growing concerns about the health of Florida’s property insurers, the state’s largest carrier posted a somewhat mixed bag of financial results for the first quarter of 2022. But the company said it has...
‘Going and Coming’ Rule Gets a Little More Focused, Florida Court Decides
Apr 29 2022 // A Florida appeals court has put a fine point on the still-evolving “going and coming rule” in workers’ compensation law. The 1st District Court of Appeal found that a man injured on his way to a jobsite...
Rooftop Solar Boom Continues: Florida Governor Vetoes ‘Net Metering’ Bill
Apr 28 2022 // A boom in rooftop solar panels in Florida is likely to continue after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have essentially barred homeowners from selling power back to utility companies. The exponential growth in...
Mississippi Pharmacist, Now in Florida, Gets 10 Years in $180M Cream Scheme
Apr 28 2022 // Federal prosecutors say a former Mississippi pharmacist has been sentenced to the maximum 10 years in prison for a $180 million health insurance fraud scheme involving unnecessary prescriptions for expensive pain creams...
Florida Action Against Disney More Complicated Than Lawmakers May Have Known
Apr 28 2022 // That plan to strip the Disney Corp. of its special municipality status in Florida? It’s more complicated than many Florida officials may have realized. A week after the Florida Legislature acted with lightning speed...
Florida Appeals Court: Pre-Suit Notices Required in AOB Cases After July 2019
Apr 26 2022 // In a decision that’s being called a win for insurers, Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeals held last week that the statutory notice of intent to sue applies to all assignment-of-benefits agreements signed...
Rule Aims to Make Florida Electricity 100% Renewable by 2050
Apr 26 2022 // Florida utilities would gradually increase their electricity to 100% renewable by 2050 under a proposed rule unveiled Thursday by the state’s agriculture commissioner. The proposed rule is an outgrowth of a lengthy...
