Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Experts Say Gun Alone Doesn’t Justify Deadly Force in Fatal Shooting of Florida Airman
May 14 2024 // On the afternoon of May 3, Roger Fortson opened the door of his Florida apartment with a gun in his hand and was immediately shot six times by a sheriff’s deputy responding to a complaint about an...
American Coastal to Sell Interboro to Forza Holdings, Completing Personal Lines Exit
May 13 2024 // American Coastal Insurance Corp. (ACIC) has agreed to sell its subsidiary Interboro Insurance Co., a New York domiciled insurer, to Forza Insurance Holdings, a Houston-based firm that funds insurance organizations serving...
It’s a Matter of When, Not if, a Hurricane Will Hit Florida, Forecasters Say
May 13 2024 // SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — With the start of hurricane season less than a month away, U.S. officials who predict, prepare for and respond to natural disasters had a message for Floridians on Friday: It’s not a matter of...
Two Tornadoes Down Trees on Homes, Kill One Person in Tallahassee
May 13 2024 // Two confirmed tornadoes and storms packing hurricane-force winds killed at least one woman Friday in Florida as a week of deadly severe weather continued in the South, where uprooted trees crashed onto homes and knocked...
Florida OIR Fines Heritage P&C $1M for Ian Claims Issues
May 13 2024 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in recent weeks has fined five property and casualty insurers, including Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Co., which was hit with a $1 million penalty for failing to...
Florida’s HCI Group Reports Another Healthy Quarter
May 10 2024 // TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — HCI Group Inc. (HCI) on Wednesday reported first-quarter profit of $47.6 million, which follows a $38 million profit for Q4 2023. The Tampa-based company said it had profit of $3.81 per share....
Spouse Married After Injury Can Still Seek Damages in Asbestos Claim – Fla. High Court
May 10 2024 // The Florida Supreme Court has opened the door a little wider to wrongful death claims from people who weren’t married to victims at the time of injury, upsetting what defense lawyers said was a decades-old common-law...
Fannie and Freddie Hit Pause on Replacement-Value Requirements for Home Insurance
May 9 2024 // Property insurance groups on Wednesday applauded a decision by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to hold off on an apparent plan to scrutinize mortgages on homes that don’t carry full replacement-value insurance...
Update: Fannie Mae Guidelines Raise Concerns, Could Bar ACV Coverage for Homes
May 7 2024 // An updated guideline from Fannie Mae, if it stands, could throw a wrench into the property-casualty insurance industry’s move toward actual cash value for more homeowners and condo coverage. A Fannie Mae spokesperson...
Berkshire’s ‘Most Important’ Biz Drives Q1 Results; GEICO Still Behind on Tech
May 6 2024 // Berkshire Hathaway continued to deliver eye-popping results for its insurance and reinsurance operations during the first quarter of 2024, with underwriting profits for personal auto insurer GEICO and reinsurance...
Florida Saw Jump in Workers’ Comp Cost per Claim in 2022-23, WCRI Report Shows
May 6 2024 // Call it the effects of wage creep during the pandemic, along with a little bit of creep in the duration of benefits. Employers and insurers in Florida saw a 7% increase in total cost per workers’ compensation claim...
Business Moves
May 6 2024 // National Strategic Risk Solutions, Garnet Captive Insurance Services Strategic Risk Solutions (SRS) reported it has agreed to acquire Garnet Captive Insurance Services, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, firm that partners with...
Florida’s Heritage Insurance Sees More Profits in Q1 This Year
May 3 2024 // Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc. (HRTG) on Wednesday reported earnings of $14.2 million in its first quarter of this year, about the same as earnings for Q1 of 2023, but down from the $31 million in net income reported for...
Climate Change Concern About to Removed from Florida Energy Law
May 2 2024 // TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida, perhaps the most vulnerable state to sea-level rise and extreme weather, is on the verge of repealing what’s left of a 16-year-old law that lists climate change as a priority when...
16 Nabbed in Florida Sting Operation for Failing to Get Workers’ Comp Coverage
May 1 2024 // A sting operation in Manatee County, Florida, has led to the arrest of 16 men who were working without a contractor’s license and without securing workers’ compensation insurance on their employees. The sting...
South Florida ‘Butt Lift’ Surgery Clinic Linked to 15 Drug-Resistant Bacteria Infections
May 1 2024 // Florida and federal health officials have determined that 15 infections from a drug-resistant bacteria have been linked to a south Florida clinic that performed Brazilian “butt lift” surgeries in 2022 and...
Fla. Regulators’ Effort to Remove Insurer Execs May Not Pass Constitutional Muster
Apr 30 2024 // Current and former leaders with Florida property insurers have had some strong reactions to state regulators’ recent efforts to oust company executives who previously helmed now-insolvent carriers. Some have called...
Florida Governor Signs Wind-Mitigation Funding Bills for Homes, Condos
Apr 29 2024 // Florida’s governor has signed two bills that will provide more matching grants for homeowners and condominium associations to fortify properties against the growing threat of windstorms. Senate Bill 7028 will send an...
Insurers Get Green Light to Pay Less Than Billed Charges in Florida PIP Cases
Apr 29 2024 // The Florida Supreme Court has given auto insurers more flexibility in reducing payments for medical services under the state’s no-fault auto insurance law and may have finally put to rest years of questions about the...
Higginbotham Adds South Florida Benefits Agency to Team
Apr 26 2024 // Texas-headquartered Higginbotham, one of the largest independent insurance and benefits firms, has added Adams Benefits of Boca Raton, Florida, to its team, the company said in a news release. The move marks an expansion...
