Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Real Estate Titans Battle DeSantis Over China Property Crackdown
Dec 12 2023 // (Bloomberg) — Ron DeSantis rattled corporate America by making Walt Disney Co. a target of his conservative culture wars. Now, the Florida governor’s campaignto rid the state of Chinese influence is fueling a...
In Florida, One Coast Is Soaked. The Other Is Parched.
Dec 11 2023 // ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — In Florida, this year has been a tale of two states as far as rainfall totals, with the southeast coast deluged by sometimes-record rainfall and much of the Gulf of Mexico coast facing a...
With Differing Court Rulings on Pre-Suit Notice of Intent, Florida Insurers Left Guessing
Dec 11 2023 // On October 27, 2023, Florida’s 5th District Court of Appeal ruled that a personal injury protection pre-suit demand letter needs to include only a billing ledger and does not need to state the exact amount that the...
Florida Governor’s Budget Would Slice Premium Taxes and FIGA Assessment
Dec 8 2023 // Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s insurance commissioner have touted the governor’s 2024-2025 state budget, released this week, as a $431 million relief package for Florida homeowners struggling with...
Florida Weekly Wage and Max Workers’ Comp Benefit See Biggest Jump Since 1980
Dec 8 2023 // The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation has released the maximum weekly wage benefit for 2024 and it’s the largest two-year jump in wages in more than four decades. Florida law sets the maximum indemnity...
Regulatory Battles In Personal Lines Ahead; Allstate May Drop Customers
Dec 8 2023 // Analysts from Standard & Poor’s predicted this week that while personal auto results are starting to stabilize, the continued push for rate in 2024 will set the stage for more faceoffs between regulators and...
Florida Family Sues Panera Bread Over Caffeinated Lemonade After Man’s Death
Dec 7 2023 // FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. (AP) –The family of a 46-year-old Florida man has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against one of the biggest fast-casual restaurant chains in the U.S., claiming Panera Bread...
Florida Commissioner, NAMIC Latest to Push Back on Federal Climate Change Data Call
Dec 6 2023 // Florida’s insurance commissioner and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies are pushing back against a plan by the U.S. Treasury to collect data from insurers on risks from climate change, calling it...
US DOJ Slaps Criminal Fines on UK Brokers Tysers and H.W. Wood for Bribery
Dec 5 2023 // The US Department of Justice has slapped criminal penalties on UK reinsurance brokers Tysers Insurance Brokers Ltd. and H.W. Wood Ltd. as a result of their participation “in a corrupt scheme to pay bribes to...
Florida Authorities Charge 4 in Fraudulent Roof Claims, Issue Warrant for Contractor
Dec 4 2023 // Florida authorities have announced the arrest of four people in connection with an alleged scheme to deliberately damage roofs in order to qualify them for insurance claims. And another contractor well known to insurers...
Declarations
Dec 4 2023 // AI and Insurance Jobs “Although the overall impact of generative AI on employment remains uncertain, it will likely change the way society works, as current employees learn to leverage the power of this developing...
People & Places
Dec 4 2023 // National Pat Tomlinson Pat Tomlinson has been named president of Marsh McLennan’s Mercer and will succeed Mercer CEO Martine Ferland upon her retirement March 31, 2024. In the meantime, as president, Tomlinson will...
Industry Trends to Exploit for 2024
Dec 4 2023 // Agency owners must watch and learn about major trends when they start. Following are key trends that insurance agencies should be tracking for 2024. 1. Insurtech Several trends are emerging in the insurtech...
Despite Insurance Costs, Lux Condos Going Up: Miami Tower to Have $150M Penthouse
Dec 1 2023 // (Bloomberg) — A roughly 13,000-square-foot, full-floor penthouse and roof at the Rosewood Residences, a 17-story condo tower designed by Peter Marino in Miami’s South Beach, could soon be the most expensive in...
US Senate Committee Wants Investigation Into Florida Citizens’ Loss Reserves
Dec 1 2023 // The chairman of the U.S. Senate’s Budget Committee has begun an investigation into Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and how the state-created insurer plans to address potential underwriting losses...
Springsteen’s Drummer, Weinberg, Says Florida Car Restorer Took $125,000 From Him
Nov 30 2023 // FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Bruce Springsteen`s drummer, Max Weinberg, is suing the owners of a Florida car restoration company, saying they stole $125,000 by falsely promising him a like-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz and...
Florida Injury Attorney Begins Prison Time for Defrauding Former Players in NFL Lawsuit
Nov 29 2023 // A Florida injury attorney who led a class-action lawsuit on behalf of former NFL players, then defrauded his clients out of millions of dollars, is in federal prison after he was sentenced to 14 years. Phillip Timothy...
Alleged Leader of Multi-State Auto Fraud Ring Arrested in Florida After 4 Years in Hiding
Nov 29 2023 // A Washington State man, on the lam for four years and wanted in connection with $6 million in auto insurance fraud schemes and staged accidents across the country, has been arrested in Florida. The U.S. Marshals Service...
Florida Appeals Court Says Pre-Suit Notice Requirement Not Retroactive
Nov 29 2023 // When Florida lawmakers approved Senate Bill 76 in 2021, requiring a 10-day notice before suits are filed against insurers, it was seen as a big step in stemming what had become a flood of claims litigation. Since then,...
Florida Hospital Alleges Juror Misconduct, Wants New Trial After Verdict in Maya Case
Nov 28 2023 // The Florida hospital at the center of the high-profile Maya Kowalski negligence case has asked for a new trial, alleging that the jury foreman improperly leaked information during the trial, which resulted in a $216...
