Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Why Abuse Reforms Will Protect Florida’s Economy & Consumers
Jun 19 2023 // Florida’s legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis took a big step forward during the 2023 Legislative Session with the signing of House Bill 837, which protects the state’s consumers and business owners from runaway...
Florida Judge Slams SFR Restoration Firm for Misrepresentation, Fraud in Tower Hill Case
Jun 19 2023 // SFR Services, a Florida restoration firm made famous by its volume of claims litigation and its charges that United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. had instructed desk adjusters to alter their estimates, now finds...
Farmers Halts Homeowners Policies in Florida
Jun 16 2023 // Farmers Insurance has confirmed it has halted sales of new homeowners policies in Florida just as the new hurricane season is getting underway. The insurer cited rising costs as the reason. “With catastrophe costs at...
Two Florida Pharmacies to Pay $7.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
Jun 16 2023 // Jacksonville’s Smart Pharmacy, Inc., SP2, LLC, and owner Gregory Balotin have agreed to pay at least $7.4 million to resolve lawsuits filed in Jacksonville, Florida, alleging they violated the False Claims Act by...
Five Dogs Killed in RV Fire Before Florida Dog Show
Jun 16 2023 // Five dogs were killed in an RV fire the day before a dog show was set to begin in Florida, officials said. The fire was first reported Tuesday afternoon at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Hillsborough County Fire...
Florida Gov. Signs One Last Bill, Allowing Higher Deductibles, More Storm Models
Jun 14 2023 // One of the last property insurance-related bills to come out of the 2023 regular session of the Florida Legislature was signed into law this week, potentially saving insurers some cash, giving them some flexibility on rate...
Florida Sheriff Investigating After 7 Diners at Restaurant Fall Ill from Narcotics Poisoning
Jun 13 2023 // Florida authorities are investigating a steakhouse after seven patrons were hospitalized with what may have been poisoning from narcotics. Santa Rosa County Sheriff said that some type of narcotic was in the food at Nikko...
OSHA Says Fatal Florida Fireworks Fire Was Preventable, Fines Company $109,000
Jun 13 2023 // A December fire at a fireworks company warehouse, which killed four workers and gravely injured a fifth, was preventable, but the company will face just $109,375 in fines, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health...
Family Files 2nd Lawsuit, Against Captain of Boat, After Fatal Parasailing Crash in Keys
Jun 12 2023 // The family of an Illinois woman killed in a 2022 crash while she and two children were parasailing in the Florida Keys filed a second lawsuit connected to her death this week and reflected on the tragic end to a family...
Bad Press, Claims Issues, Halt on New Business Giving Industry Another Black Eye?
Jun 12 2023 // It’s no secret that the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry does not always enjoy a sterling reputation among consumers. As one insurance professor recently put it, the industry’s rank in public opinion...
Judge Rejects 3M Effort to Resolve Earplug Lawsuits in Bankruptcy
Jun 12 2023 // A U.S. judge on Friday dismissed the bankruptcy of 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies, rejecting an effort to resolve nearly 260,000 lawsuits alleging that 3M military earplugs caused hearing loss for veterans and U.S....
Florida Lawmakers Finally Approved Workers’ Comp Physician Reimbursement Plan
Jun 9 2023 // For the first time in six years, Florida has a new health care provider reimbursement manual, governing workers’ compensation fees for doctors. But the manual already could be considered three years out of date. It...
Climate Change and Homeowners’ Insurance Are on a Collision Course
Jun 9 2023 // A summer that has already seen water crises and wildfire smoke is rapidly becoming an inflection point in the pitched battle between climate change and the price of homeowners’ insurance in the US. American...
Sheriff: Florida Woman Who Fatally Shot Neighbor Was Not Standing Her Ground
Jun 8 2023 // A Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her neighbor last week in the violent culmination of what the sheriff described as a 21/2-year feud was arrested Tuesday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. Susan...
Florida OIR Approves Roof Endorsements That Could Bar Non-Storm Claims
Jun 8 2023 // Despite the Florida Legislature taking major steps to rein in the cost of roof claims and litigation, at least two insurers have come out with broad roof endorsements that seek to bar claims for wear and tear, poor...
Children Rescued from Burning Car While Florida Mom was Shoplifting, Police Say
Jun 7 2023 // Shoppers at a Florida mall managed to pull two children out of a burning car after their mother left them alone while she shoplifted, police said. The vehicle caught fire May 26 outside the Oviedo Mall, just northeast of...
Keys Staffing Firm Owner Gets 32 Months for Illegal Worker Tax Violations
Jun 7 2023 // The owner of several Key West staffing companies is on his way to prison after a federal judge sentenced him to more than two years for hiring unauthorized alien workers and failing to pay taxes on their wages. Batyr...
Florida OIR Hearing Set for Citizens’ Latest Rate Increases
Jun 6 2023 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will hold a rate hearing Thursday, June 8, on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s proposed 12.5% average increase for homeowners and larger increases for other types...
Florida Commissioner Names Two to Top Regulatory Spots
Jun 6 2023 // Florida’s insurance commissioner has appointed two longtime veterans of the department to high-level regulatory positions. Virginia Christy’s name will be familiar to anyone who has read Florida Office of...
Viewpoint: Impact of Florida Tort-Reform Bill Becomes Clear, But Litigation Expected
Jun 6 2023 // On March 24, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law House Bill 837, resulting in the enactment of sweeping tort reform (“the Act”). The Act impacts various aspects of the civil justice system. The most...
