Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
A.M. Best Gives Service Insurance an ‘Excellent’ Rating
Mar 18 2005 // Service Insurance Company of Bradenton, Fla., hit with customer losses of more than $100 million in the four hurricanes that swept Florida in 2004, has received notice that it has been removed from A.M. Best’s rate...
Florida Bill Would Drop Collective Deductible, But Would Incur Long-Range Costs for Consumers
Mar 17 2005 // A bill that is moving through the Florida House of Representatives could leave consumers and businesses with a hefty bill if the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is wiped out after a major hurricane. The proposed...
ELIOS Plantation, Fla. Office to Serve the East Coast
Mar 16 2005 // A new Plantation, Fla. office has been opened by ELIOS, a San Ramon, Calif. provider of paperless solutions technology for property and casualty insurance companies. Mario Garcia, ELIOS’ director of information...
CFO Slates Meetings March 19 in Orlando; April 2 in Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Mar 16 2005 // Florida homeowners will still have two opportunities to discuss hurricane-related insurance problems with CFO Tom Gallagher, his staff and insurance company representatives March 19 in Orlando and April 2 in Fort...
Regulators Name Consumer Liaison Reps for 2005
Mar 15 2005 // The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently named its funded consumer liaison representatives for 2005. Established in 1992, the program promotes consumer representation and interaction with NAIC members,...
Fla. CEO Misses Fort Pierce Meeting Due to ‘Miscommunications’
Mar 15 2005 // More than 100 homeowners, clutching manila file folders full of hurricane-related paperwork, newspaper reporters and other interested persons milled around the Fort Pierce, Fla. City Hall on March 11 waiting for...
Tort Reform Supporters Rally at Florida Statehouse
Mar 15 2005 // A statehouse rally on March 15 in Tallahassee, Fla. demonstrated the coordinated effort to end lawsuit abuse in Florida during the 2005 legislative session, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of...
Computer Models Reassess Fla. Hurricane Risk Following Busy 2004 Season
Mar 14 2005 // New computer models show higher chances of hurricane strikes to Florida, and a 3.9 percent increase in predicted losses. In parts of the state, particularly Escambia County, the program boosts predicted losses as much as...
Fla. Homeowner Files Lawsuit, Asks Allstate to Pay $10,000 for Mold Damage
Mar 14 2005 // A Florida homeowner has filed a lawsuit against Allstate Insurance to collect $10,000, accusing the company of failing to pay for mold damage after Hurricane Charley. The lawsuit brought by homeowner Luann Guy of Cape...
500 Consumers Attend Punta Gorda, Fla. Town Hall Meetings; Gallagher, Insurance Reps Hear Complaints
Mar 14 2005 // More than 100 consumers spent five-and-a-half hours March 12 voicing their concerns about unpaid insurance claims in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley at a town hall meeting in Punta Gorda, Fla. attended by Chief...
Fla. CFO Issues Statement on ‘Face-to-face’ Meetings With Insurers
Mar 10 2005 // After receiving consumer complaints during town hall meetings in Pensacola, Fla. about unpaid claims, Tom Gallagher, Florida’s CFO, told insurance company representatives he would like to have...
Fla. Legislature Considering International Insurance Bill
Mar 9 2005 // The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that could make the state a center for international insurance, much as it already is for international banking. The House Insurance Committee unanimously passed the measure...
AIA Reports Florida’s Worsening Legal Environment Calls for Legislative Action on Tort Reform
Mar 8 2005 // In survey results released this week, corporate America ranked Florida as having the 42nd worst legal environment in the country. The survey, conducted annually by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, underscores the urgent need...
90 Days Until Hurricane Season: Fla. Legislators Hope to Solve Problems
Mar 7 2005 // With less than 90 days to go until the 2005 hurricane season begins, Florida legislators are scrambling to solve a wide-variety of hurricane-related problems: Getting insurance claims settled; solving problems with...
Fla. Legislative Sessions Begin Today: Insurance-Related Subjects Top To-Do List
Mar 7 2005 // The Florida Legislature begins its spring sessions today with insurance-related topics expected to take the limelight with several dozen proposals being discussed by the governing body. Topics range from giving consumers...
Talk to and Support Your Legislators
Mar 7 2005 // I recently attended the Professional Insurance Agents of Florida’s “Legislative Day 2005” in Tallahassee, and March 17 I’ll attend the Alabama Independent Insurance Agent’s 18th Annual...
22 S. Floridians Arrested in Fraud Ring
Mar 7 2005 // The arrests of 22 of 29 ring-members believed to be involved in a widespread racket, which bilked insurance companies for more than $1 million by staging at least a dozen auto crashes and making false claims to area...
PIA Legislative Day Topics: Medicaid Reform, Term Limits, Ethics, Citizens
Mar 7 2005 // Medicaid reform, changing term limits and ethics will be three major issues of concern to the Florida Legislature during upcoming meetings and through 2006, Ron Villella, Professional Insurance Agents of Florida lobbyist...
Hurricane Experts Unsure About 2005
Mar 7 2005 // Support Windstorm Impact Reduction Program Hurricane expert Max May-field and Rep. Jim Davis attempted to make long-range predictions about future events that will affect the Florida insurance industry during the annual...
Success Keys: Educate Yourself, Focus to the Max
Mar 7 2005 // While teaching basic insurance, ethics, and errors and omissions for the Professional Insurance Agents of Florida I have noted several trends I would like to share with you. The good is very good, in fact, it is excellent....
