Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Tornado Tosses Vehicle Driving on Turnpike
Jan 29 2016 // A tornado picked up a southbound vehicle on Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Lauderdale Wednesday morning and dropped it in the northbound lane as a line of severe storms hit the area, officials said. They said the...
Florida Officer Convicted of Taking Bribes in Illegal Towing Scheme
Jan 28 2016 // A former Miami-Dade County police officer has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in an illegal towing scheme. News outlets report Yuri Millan admitted he took kickbacks from tow-truck operators Oriel Ugardes and Jose Guim...
Report: Florida’s Workers’ Comp Market Still Strong but Uncertainty Remains
Jan 26 2016 // The latest workers’ compensation report from Florida’s insurance regulator says the state’s workers’ compensation market remained competitive and well capitalized in 2014, but reforms put in place...
Citizens Releases Analysis of Increasing Florida Water Loss Costs
Jan 25 2016 // Water loss claims, exacerbated by assignment of benefits, are driving higher rates in South Florida and increasingly across the state, according to a just released analysis conducted by Citizens Property Insurance Corp....
Departing Florida Insurance Chief McCarty Leaves ‘Huge Shoes to Fill’
Jan 25 2016 // News of Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin M. McCarty’s resignation rocked the state Jan. 6 when he announced that he would leave office on May 2, 2016 after 12 years in the post. McCarty has served as the only...
People – Southeast
Jan 25 2016 // The Main Street America Group has appointed Nancy Giordano-Ramos as its vice president/head of bonds. Giordano-Ramos had been the super-regional property/casualty insurance company’s interim head of bonds since last...
Two Florida Clinic Owners Charged With Defrauding Insurers
Jan 24 2016 // The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) announced the arrest of two unlicensed clinic owners from Miami-Dade County. Noel Ruiz of Miami and Alberto B Franco of Hialeah were...
Florida Group Calls for Transparency in McCarty Replacement Search
Jan 22 2016 // The Florida Association of Insurance Reform has asked Gov. Rick Scott and his Cabinet, which consists of Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, State Attorney General Pam Bondi, and State Agricultural Commissioner Adam...
Florida’s Citizens Policy Count Reaches Lowest Level on Record
Jan 21 2016 // Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corporation announced Jan. 20 that it has reduced its policy count to under 500,000. The company said in a statement that its policy count on Jan. 19 was 484,788, the lowest...
Florida-Based BKS-Partners Promotes Desmarais to Benefits Director
Jan 20 2016 // Kristy Desmarais Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners (BKS-Partners) has promoted Kristy Desmarais to Benefits director. As Benefit’s director, Desmarais is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of...
Florida Tornadoes Leave 2 Dead, Several Injured
Jan 19 2016 // Florida officials say two adults have been killed and four children have been injured after two tornadoes swept through central Florida. Manatee County EMS officials tell WFLA-TV that several people were injured as severe...
Serial Arsonist Arrested in Florida
Jan 14 2016 // The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office, which operates under the direction of the Florida Department of Financial Services and CFO Jeff Atwater, announced the arrest of Travis Michael Pierce for allegedly setting...
Wallace Welch & Willingham Acquires Florida Agency Sondregger Insurance
Jan 13 2016 // Wallace Welch & Willingham (W3) has acquired Sondregger Insurance, an independent agency based in St. Petersburg, Fla. The acquisition was made final on December 9, 2015. Sondregger Insurance specializes in personal...
Southwest Florida Cleans-Up Damage from Weekend Tornado
Jan 12 2016 // Authorities say a weekend tornado that touched down in southwest Florida with winds up to 135 mph damaged several homes, left thousands without power for a time, but caused no serious injuries or deaths. Police say the...
Confie Acquires Florida-Based Most Insurance
Jan 12 2016 // Confie, a national provider of personal and commercial lines insurance, has acquired Most Insurance, LLC of Tampa, Fla. Established by Bob Most in 1973, Most Insurance, LLC is a family owned and operated business. With...
Business Moves
Jan 11 2016 // NFP, Absolute Advantage, Vanorsdale Insurance NFP Property & Casualty has acquired Lake Havasu City, Ariz.-based Absolute Advantage Insurance Services LLC. NFP also acquired San Diego, Calif.-based Vanorsdale...
Florida Lawmakers to Industry: We Want YOU to Join State Flood Insurance Market
Jan 11 2016 // We think the time is right for you all to explore the [Florida] flood insurance market.” That was the message Florida Senator Jeff Brandes gave insurance industry attendees at the first ever Florida Flood Insurance...
People – South Central
Jan 11 2016 // John Pollock, BB&T Insurance Services Florida regional insurance president, has been promoted to a multi-state regional leadership position. According to the company, BB&T Insurance Services is experiencing...
Industry Reacts to McCarty Resignation, Contemplates His Next Move
Jan 8 2016 // Insurance industry reactions to Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s decision to resign have been rolling in since the long-time state regulator announced Jan. 5 that he would step down from his position...
McCarty Replacement Rumors Start Swirling; Successor Has ‘Huge Shoes to Fill’
Jan 8 2016 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s successor has yet to be announced, but whoever takes over will have his or her work cut out for them when McCarty leaves office after 12 years on May 2. “These are...
