Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Lawsuits Could Follow Zimmerman Acquittal
Jul 15 2013 // The acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer cleared of state charges in the death of black teenager Trayvon Martin, spurred new calls for a federal civil rights prosecution and suggestions...
Florida Consumer Advocate to Review Insurers’ Homeowners Claims Handling
Jul 12 2013 // Florida’s insurance consumer advocate is launching a group to look at how insurance companies are handling claims from homeowners. Robin Smith Westcott said she is creating a working group to come up with...
Tropical Storm Chantal May Form in Atlantic This Week
Jul 7 2013 // Tropical Storm Chantal strengthened as it moved west across the Atlantic toward the Lesser Antilles, including the islands of Martinique and Saint Lucia, on a track that may take it east of Florida, the U.S. National...
Florida Consortium Reaches Deal on Use of Oil Spill Payments
Jul 3 2013 // Gov. Rick Scott and the Gulf Consortium – a group comprising 23 Gulf Coast counties – have reached a deal for using recovery funds related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the governor’s office...
Assurant Finalizes 2013 P/C Reinsurance Program
Jul 2 2013 // Assurant, Inc., a provider of specialized insurance and insurance-related products and services, has finalized the structure of the company’s 2013 Property Catastrophe Reinsurance Program, including $185 million of...
Trial Attorneys Challenge Florida’s Medical Malpractice Law
Jul 2 2013 // Florida trial attorneys filed five lawsuits against health care providers challenging a state law that imposes new restrictions on medical malpractice claims. The attorneys allege that the law allows medical malpractice...
Timothy Martin Joins Morstan General Agency, Inc. as Senior VP of Field Operations
Jul 2 2013 // Manhasset, NY, 7/2/13 – Morstan General Agency, Inc. announces the hiring of Timothy P. Martin as Senior Vice President – Field Operations. Martin, previously Chief Operating Officer of Burlington Insurance...
Insurers Can’t Require Examinations Under Oath in Pre-2012 PIP Claims: Florida Court
Jul 1 2013 // The Florida Supreme Court ruled that prior to a 2012 state law, auto insurer Geico didn’t have the right to force a policyholder to answer questions under oath before paying a personal injury protection (PIP)...
The Disaster Issue – Where Insurers Fear to Tread
Jul 1 2013 // One storm is all it takes these days. Anyone who’s been paying attention needn’t be reminded that even a post-tropical cyclone can cause major damage. That’s what Sandy was when she came on shore in New...
Florida Extends Fast-Track Policy Form Approval Until Year-End
Jun 28 2013 // Florida regulators, citing a backlog in property/casualty form filings and the need to train new staff, have extended a fast-track approval process for personal lines forms until the end of the year. Florida Insurance...
Florida’s Citizens Seeks 6.6% Home Rate Hike; Cap on Sinkhole Rates in High-Risk Areas
Jun 27 2013 // Florida’s state-backed property insurer requested a statewide average 6.6 percent increase in homeowners’ rates along with a cap on sinkhole rate increases in three high-risk counties at between 20 percent and...
Florida Supreme Court Nixes Pre-Surgery Damages Clause without Concession
Jun 27 2013 // The Florida Supreme Court has ruled unenforceable a doctor’s financial and arbitration agreement with a patient prior to surgery because it lacked an admission of liability by the medical provider. To be enforceable...
Florida Panel Certifies Latest AIR Hurricane Model Release
Jun 25 2013 // The Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (FCHLPM) has certified the latest version of AIR Worldwide’s hurricane model. The commission has been certifying models for use by insurers for...
Florida Court Allows Californian’s Suit Against Miami Firms Tied to Mexican Resorts
Jun 24 2013 // A divided Florida Supreme Court is letting a lawsuit go ahead against a company that runs a resort in Mexico. The court ruled last Thursday that Shahla Cortez can proceed with her lawsuit against three Miami companies...
Rate Hikes on Agenda for Florida’s Citizens Insurance
Jun 24 2013 // Florida’s largest property insurer, already under fire for everything from recent business deals to how much it pays its executives, is readying another round of rate hikes for homeowners. The board of Citizens...
Florida Now Among States Allowing Electronic Proof of Insurance for Drivers
Jun 20 2013 // Florida recently joined a growing list of states that allow electronic proof of insurance via smartphones for motorists at traffic stops. Among Southeastern states, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky now...
Florida Taxpayers Owe Binnun a Debt of Gratitude
Jun 19 2013 // Florida’s state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. announced earlier this week that Chief Financial Officer Sharron Binnun has resigned to take a job in the private sector. Her departure from Citizens is...
Florida Gov. Scott, CFO Atwater Were Told About Heritage Deal with Citizens
Jun 17 2013 // Florida Gov. Rick Scott — and other top state officials — quickly distanced themselves last month from a controversial deal approved by Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to shift thousands of homeowner policies to a...
Homeowners Struggle with Rising Insurance Costs
Jun 17 2013 // When Stan Virden moved into his 2,400-square-foot house overlooking a rock-lined canal in 1996, he paid less than $1,000 a year for homeowners insurance. Now, as he seeks to move to Atlanta to be near family, Virden says...
Insured Property Values in Coastal States Top $10 Trillion; Florida Has Most at Risk; Miami Ranks 2nd Among Metros
Jun 17 2013 // In separate reports AIR Worldwide and CoreLogic estimated insured property values in coastal areas of the United States reaching into the trillions of dollars. CoreLogic, focusing on residential properties exposed to storm...
