Latest Florida Headlines

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

Unlicensed Adjuster Arrested for Stealing $14K from Homeowners After Irma

Jan 18 2019 // An unlicensed insurance adjuster has been arrested over unlicensed public adjusting activities and the filing of false and fraudulent liens on individuals’ homes following Hurricane Irma, according to a statement...

Normandy Insurance Expands Workers’ Comp Coverage to Texas

Jan 17 2019 // Florida-based workers’ compensation carrier Normandy Insurance Co. is now offering workers’ compensation insurance to small, mid-size, and large businesses in Texas. This marks the fourth major expansion by the...

Cabrillo Coastal Launches Flood Coverage for Dwelling Fire Policies in Florida

Jan 17 2019 // Cabrillo Coastal General Insurance Agency launched a flood endorsement for new or existing dwelling fire policies for its admitted program in Florida. The coverage follows Cabrillo Coastal’s launch of a flood...

New Florida Gov Signs Order to Fight Algae, Red Tide

Jan 16 2019 // Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis began following up on a campaign promise to make the environment a priority by signing an order last week seeking to tackle Florida’s problems with blue-green algae in its rivers and red...

Berkley One Expands into Florida, Ohio; Adds Flood Insurance in Select States

Jan 15 2019 // Berkley One, a startup insurance provider targeting the high net worth personal lines market, has expanded into Florida and Ohio. Working with select independent agents, Berkley One offers home, automobile, fine art and...

Sea Rise Blamed for Failure of Miami-Dade Septic Tanks

Jan 15 2019 // Miami-Dade has tens of thousands of septic tanks, and a new report reveals most are already malfunctioning – the smelly and unhealthy evidence of which often ends up in people’s yards and homes. It’s a...

Florida’s Record Rainfall in 2018 Leaves Farmers Reeling Over Destroyed Crops

Jan 14 2019 // Rodney Helton stood in a cotton field in Atmore, Ala., on a Thursday morning, just over the Florida state line, with puddles of wet, mushy soil and water gathering over his dirty boots. He reached out and plucked a sopping...

Florida Nursing Home Where 12 Died After Irma Loses License

Jan 10 2019 // Florida has revoked the license of a nursing home where 12 elderly patients died in the heat after it lost power during a 2017 hurricane. The Agency for Health Care Administration issued its order Friday, saying an...

Orchid Insurance of Florida Hires Bardusch as Chief Technology Officer

Jan 10 2019 // Orchid Underwriters Agency (Orchid Insurance), LLC, a specialty underwriter of catastrophe exposed property insurance, has hired Chris Bardusch as chief technology officer, a new position within the company. Bardusch is...

Suit Against Tesla Over Fatal Florida Accident Blames Battery

Jan 9 2019 // Chicago law firm Corboy & Demetrio said on Tuesday it filed a lawsuit against electric carmaker Tesla Inc. alleging that its 2014 Model S sedan had a defective battery pack that caused the death of an 18-year old...

Florida Courts Bogged Down by New Gun Law, Hurricane Suits

Jan 8 2019 // Florida’s new gun law is keeping courts busy, and the state Supreme Court also says lawsuits over hurricane disputes could be on the rise. The Florida Supreme Court said Dec. 28 that 100 petitions a month have been...

5 Children in Church Van Killed in Fiery Crash on Florida Interstate

Jan 7 2019 // A church van packed with children was headed to Walt Disney World when it got caught in a fiery pileup involving two 18-wheelers. Seven people, including five of the youngsters, died in the crash. On Friday, investigators...

Libertate/Risk MD Merges With Ballator Group of Florida

Jan 7 2019 // Ballator Insurance Group (BIG) of Orlando, Fla., and Libertate Insurance/RiskMD have merged to offer support with insurance placements and data management for professional employer organizations (PEO’s). BIG and its...

Southeast Officials Focus on Curbing Fraud, Rising Auto Rates, Flood Insurance, and Distracted Driving

Jan 7 2019 // For the seventh year in a row, the Florida insurance industry, regulators, and consumer advocates will push for reforms to the state’s assignment of benefits issue that has now become an insurance crisis, according...

2018 Agents of the Year

Jan 7 2019 // Jacob Barzivand Paramount Exclusive Insurance Services Inc. | Encino, California Jacob Barzivand started working as an insurance producer right after college at the age of 20. Now, at just 26, he’s built a sizable...

3 Reasons Recovery from Hurricane Florence is Different from Hurricane Michael

Jan 7 2019 // Lessons from Past Storms and Economic Changes Suggest Rebuilding Efforts After Florence Will Be Arduous As the saying goes – location is everything. Following the two largest U.S. hurricanes this year, Hurricane...

2019 Insurance Industry Meetings & Conventions Directory

Jan 7 2019 // 2019 CIWA Industry Days Jan 6-8 Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines La Jolla, CA CIWA www.ciwa.net 2019 Big ‘I’ Winter Meeting Jan 9-12 Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch St. Louis, MO Independent Insurance Agents...

Florida Zoo Halts ‘Premium’ Experiences After Toddler Enters Rhino Enclosure

Jan 4 2019 // A Florida zoo where a toddler stumbled into a rhinoceros enclosure is suspending exhibits offering “premium” animal experiences while officials review safety protocol. The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla.,...

6 Ex-Florida State Fire College Employees Sue Over Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals

Jan 3 2019 // Six former employees of the Florida State Fire College have sued manufacturers of firefighting suppressants used at the training facility, saying they caused cancer or other diseases. The Ocala Star-Banner reports the...

Florida Roofer Arrested for Stealing Nearly $50K from Homeowners, Insurance Fraud

Jan 3 2019 // A Florida roofing company owner was arrested last month after allegedly attempting to defraud multiple homeowners out of more than $49,000 and working without workers’ compensation insurance, according to a statement...