Florida property insurance crisis News

‘My Safe Florida Condo,’ Pet Insurance Bills Passed by Senate Committee

First came the My Safe Florida Home program, providing matching grants to homeowners who fortify their homes against wind damage in exchange for premium discounts. Seeing the popularity and effectiveness of that program, Florida lawmakers last month introduced bills to …

Florida Condos Say They Can’t Get Coverage. House Bill Would Let Citizens Step In

When a Florida Senate committee last week approved a bill that would raise the policy limit on homes that can be written by the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., state Sen. Doug Broxson said the change was needed because of …

Fla. Senate Panel Votes to Raise Citizens’ Policy Cap to $1M, End Glidepath for Some

The Florida Senate’s Banking and Insurance Committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would make the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. more like an insurer of last resort, unrestricted by premium caps – at least for some expensive homes in …

Update: How Loggerhead Moved to Snap Up 110,000+ Progressive Policies in Florida

In early 2021, former executives with the Auto Club Insurance Co. of Florida, affiliated with AAA, decided to form a new property insurance company in Florida — even before state lawmakers made monumental changes that curbed claims litigation and costs. …

Florida Bad-Faith Suit Survives Even Though Policy Limits Paid and Sinkhole Excluded

Just because an insurer paid the full policy limits on a claim, and argues that the damages weren’t even covered, doesn’t mean it can escape a bad-faith lawsuit. It’s the type of court decision that has rankled Florida insurance carriers …

Florida Court Rulings, Legislation Could Impact Insurers’ Claims Practices

Recent Florida legislation that has limited plaintiffs’ attorney fees and has raised the bar for bringing bad-faith claims against insurers appears to have already had an impact on the level of claims litigation in the state. Policyholder lawyers note that …

Florida Judge Slams Universal for ‘Stonewalling,’ Demands Answers From Company

Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. officials are discounting the significance of recent Florida judges’ rulings that have slammed the company for violating court orders, have forced Universal to default on lawsuits, have referred a Universal lawyer for disciplinary action, …

Are Billions in Wind Mitigation the Answer for Florida’s Insurance Problems?

While Florida’s property insurance landscape appears to be leveling out, much more funding is needed to fortify homes against hurricane winds and prevent devastating losses for insureds and insurers, a few panelists said at the Florida Chamber’s Insurance Summit last …

A Year After Florida Adjusters Dropped a Bomb, They’ve Heard Little and Now Want Investigators Fired

One year ago, three independent claims adjusters stood before the Florida House Commerce Committee and charged that several insurance companies had frequently and misleadingly altered their damage estimates on wind claims. The chairman of that committee said the men’s allegations …

KBRA: Florida Insurers Got Creative in 2023 but Higher Reinsurance, Storms Coming

Things are looking up in the buffeted Florida market, but reinsurance rates will continue to rise for the next two years, and a 2024 hurricane season could be busy. It all suggests that property insurers will continue to get creative …