Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurance Application and Drivers License Fraud Lead to Arrests in Fla.
Jan 7 2008 // Florida officials arrested seven Floridians accused of posing a risk to Florida’s and the nation’s security by fraudulently obtaining Florida Commercial Driver Licenses. The investigation is ongoing and...
Travelers Settles with States over Brokers’ Contingent Commissions
Jan 3 2008 // The Travelers Cos. Inc. will pay $6 million to settle investigations in 9 states and the District of Columbia over how it paid brokers. The St. Paul-based company said it had reached agreements with attorneys general in...
Top Insurance Stories in 2007 in Southeast
Dec 31 2007 // High heat, changing winds put reputations on the line. 1. Florida’s gamble “It’s all about rates,” maintained Sam Miller, of the industry’s Florida Insurance Council. Florida lawmakers in...
No-Fault Auto Insurance Requirement Back in Force in Florida Jan. 1
Dec 31 2007 // Florida drivers will have personal injury protection coverage added to their policies Jan. 1 as the state returns to a no-fault system after a three month break. Most people won’t have to do anything to comply with...
Florida Rejects Travelers’ Homeowners Insurance Rate Increase
Dec 27 2007 // A proposed 4.6 percent average statewide increase for homeowners insurance by The Travelers Companies Inc., was rejected last week by Florida’s insurance commissioner. Kevin McCarty notified Travelers that its...
Tornadoes Take Their Toll
Dec 23 2007 // While hurricanes stayed away, tornadoes did not. Powerful tornadoes killed at least 20 people and left a swath of central Florida in shambles in early February. It was the second-deadliest tornado in Florida history....
Declarations
Dec 23 2007 // The Worst Storm “This is without question the worst ice storm in state history, and it will require a historic response from all levels of government.” —Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry, following severe ice storms...
People
Dec 23 2007 // Members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) elected 2008 officers during their meeting in Houston. The newly elected officers, who will assume their duties following the completion of the NAIC...
Florida’s Gamble
Dec 23 2007 // It’s all about rates,” maintained Sam Miller, of the industry’s Florida Insurance Council. Florida lawmakers in January passed legislation they hoped would lower Floridians’ skyrocketing property...
Florida PIP Vacation
Dec 23 2007 // Florida drivers were given a short recess from having to buy their own personal injury protection coverage as the state let its no-fault car insurance law expire on Oct. 1. But lawmakers then stepped in and decided to...
Nonstop Building on Coast Adding to Florida’s Existing Insurance Risk
Dec 23 2007 // The nonstop coastal building across Florida has pushed the insurance risk in the state to nearly $2 trillion, keeping it the diciest place in the world for insurers, according to the insurance industry. Gov. Charlie Crist...
Fla. Gov. Asks Lawyers to Review Suing Property Insurers over Rates
Dec 21 2007 // Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday he wants three trial lawyers to review documents for a possible class-action lawsuit against property insurers, alleging that the industry hasn’t passed on savings to consumers as...
Reinsurance Rule Change Planned to Increase Competition in Florida
Dec 20 2007 // Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the state Cabinet preliminarily approved a rule change that would lift a competitive disadvantage faced by foreign companies selling backup coverage to property insurers. Insurance companies...
Fla. Insurers Remind Drivers of Personal Injury Protection Law’s Return
Dec 19 2007 // Auto insurers in Florida are reminding drivers that Florida law will once again require drivers to carry personal injury protection insurance effective Jan. 1, 2008. Companies are sending notices to policyholders informing...
Disaster Think Tank Coming to Florida Institute of Technology
Dec 17 2007 // Developing techniques for responding to hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters will be the focus of a new think tank at the Florida Institute of Technology. Public and private agencies that met last week at a national...
La. and Fla. Governors to Work Jointly on Insurance, Other Issues
Dec 14 2007 // Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal met in Baton Rouge, La., on Dec. 12 as new allies on issues like insurance, ethics, the environment and alternative energy. Crist, who has made insurance and...
Miss. Katrina Lawyer’s Contempt Case Reassigned to Florida Judge
Dec 14 2007 // The criminal contempt case of Mississippi trial lawyer Richard Scruggs was reassigned to a Florida judge Wednesday because 16 federal judges in north Alabama recused themselves from the case. C. Roger Vinson, Northern...
Fla. Home Mitigation Program Grants Won’t Be Taxed as Income
Dec 14 2007 // Grants awarded to Florida homeowners through the My Safe Florida Home program will not be reported as taxable income to the federal government. Florida CFO Alex Sink made the announcement after receiving a Letter Ruling...
Fla. Insurance Consumer Advocate Now to Head Investment Fund
Dec 13 2007 // Florida chose an interim director for the agency that invests local government money, hoping to restore confidence in a state fund that saw nearly half its assets withdrawn by investors panicking over mortgage-backed...
Lloyd’s Comments on Florida Changing Reinsurance Collateral Rules
Dec 12 2007 // Lloyd’s Director & General Counsel Sean McGovern, called Florida’s decision to explore making changes in the collateral insurance requirements for foreign, or “alien,” reinsurers, such as...
