Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
What State Insurance Regulators Have Asked of P/C Insurers to Address Coronavirus
Mar 25 2020 // As state insurance regulators monitor and respond to the coronavirus impact on insurance, property/casualty insurers are calling on them to coordinate their requests for data and ease up on some requirements. David A....
Florida Restaurant Dining Banned by Governor; Casinos Closed
Mar 23 2020 // Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis banned all onsite dining at restaurants statewide Friday and the Seminole Tribe closed its casinos, the latest virus -related closures affecting a state that is heavily dependent on tourism to pay...
Tesla, Drivers, Regulators All to Blame for Fatal Crash, Says Safety Board
Mar 23 2020 // The National Transportation Safety Board says two drivers, Tesla and lax regulation of new partially automated driving systems are to blame for a fatal 2019 crash in Florida involving a Tesla on Autopilot. The NTSB, in a...
Business Moves
Mar 23 2020 // National Aon, Willis Towers Watson Global insurance brokers Aon and Willis Towers Watson announced a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction with an implied combined equity value of approximately $80...
Texas Court Orders Auto Insurer Windhaven National into Liquidation
Mar 23 2020 // Private passenger auto insurer Windhaven National Insurance Co. (WNIC), a Texas-domiciled subsidiary of Florida-based Windhaven Insurance, has been ordered into liquidation at the request of the Texas Department of...
Lighthouse to Acquire Prepared Insurance of Florida
Mar 23 2020 // Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp. plans to acquire its sister carrier, Prepared Insurance Company (Prepared), from Prepared Holdings Group. Lighthouse is a Louisiana-domiciled property and casualty insurance carrier...
Southeast Insurance Regulators Issue Industry Guidance for Coronavirus Outbreak
Mar 20 2020 // Insurance departments across the Southeast are notifying industry representatives of updated procedures and expectations in response to the coronavirus outbreak, while also acknowledging the potential for a serious impact...
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Hurricane Disaster Assistance Fraud
Mar 19 2020 // A Florida woman has pleaded guilty to lying about damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Bernita Willette Carswell, 36, pleaded guilty in Jacksonville federal court last week to one count of disaster assistance fraud, according...
EG Insurance Takes Over Policies of Defunct Windhaven MGA The Hearth
Mar 19 2020 // A new managing general agent has taken over the policies of Windhaven Insurance Company subsidiary The Hearth Group and will begin writing new business in Florida and Texas in the near future. EG Insurance Agency, based in...
TigerRisk Names O’Neill Florida Client Executive
Mar 19 2020 // TigerRisk Partners LLC, a risk/capital management and strategic advisory firm, has named Brian O’Neill partner and client executive, Florida Business. In his new role, O’Neill will foster the development of...
Florida Regulator Directs Insurers to Prepare for Coronavirus-Related Interruptions
Mar 18 2020 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) is directing all insurers to review and update their business continuity and/or continuity of operations plans in light of the current outbreak of coronavirus strain...
Florida Clears Insurance Agency Reps to Work Remotely Amid Coronavirus
Mar 17 2020 // Florida’s state of emergency due to the rapid spread of coronavirus in the state, and throughout the country, has created a need for many workers to work remotely. However, certain licensed insurance employees were...
Update: Florida Bans Nursing Home Visits as Coronavirus Spreads
Mar 16 2020 // Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday banned most visits to nursing homes statewide as he acknowledged the coronavirus has likely spread into the general population. Meanwhile, officials closed world-famous South Beach to prevent...
Prepared Insurance of Florida to be Acquired by Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp.
Mar 16 2020 // Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp. plans to acquire its sister carrier, Prepared Insurance Company (Prepared), from Prepared Holdings Group. Lighthouse is a Louisiana-domiciled property and casualty insurance carrier...
Resler Appointed to Florida Self Insured Guaranty Association
Mar 13 2020 // Risk manager Mark Resler has been appointed to the Florida Self Insured Guaranty Association (FSIGA) by Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis, according to a statement from the Florida Department of...
Florida Passes Bill to Combat Blue-Green Algae Blooms
Mar 13 2020 // The Florida Legislature is attempting to rein in the blue-green algae blooms that have hurt tourism and wildlife, sending Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis a bill that seeks to reduce nutrients reaching the state’s...
Visits to Florida Nursing Homes Restricted Amidst Coronavirus Spread
Mar 13 2020 // Gov. Ron DeSantis placed limits Wednesday on who can can visit Florida’s nursing homes and other assisted living facilities, bidding to protect the state’s sizeable and vulnerable elderly population from the...
Florida Construction Co. Owner Accused of Evading $74K in Workers’ Comp Premiums
Mar 12 2020 // A construction company owner in Florida has been arrested for allegedly evaded paying nearly $74,000 in workers’ compensation insurance premiums, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Financial...
Florida Governor Declares State of Emergency Over Coronavirus
Mar 11 2020 // Swift-moving developments over the new coronavirus ricocheted across Florida’s Capitol as Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday and lawmakers disrupted their legislative session so crews in surgical...
Lawsuit: Teens’ Bodies Misidentified, Switched After Fatal Florida Car Crash
Mar 10 2020 // The parents of two teenagers killed in a car crash are suing the Florida Highway Patrol and others, claiming the bodies of their daughters were misidentified and switched. The lawsuits follow a July 29 crash in the...
