Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Governor Signs Bill Limiting Skate Rink Liability
May 16 2023 // Florida’s governor has signed into law a bill that could help reduce premiums for the dwindling number of roller-skating rinks in the state. Senate Bill 1458, sponsored by state Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville,...
Some Florida Insurers Stop Altering Adjuster Reports, But Many Claims Still Not Paid
May 16 2023 // Even before the Florida Legislature adopted the Insurer Accountability Act of 2023, requiring insurers to stop altering independent adjusters’ damage estimates without providing transparency, a number of Florida...
Florida Jury Finds McDonald’s Liable for Hot McNugget that Burned Girl’s Leg
May 15 2023 // McDonald’s and a franchise holder are at fault after a hot Chicken McNugget from a Happy Meal fell on a little girl’s leg and caused second-degree burns, a jury in South Florida found in a case reminiscent of...
Want to Limit Roof Claims in Florida? Why Not a Roof Endorsement?
May 15 2023 // Editor’s note: The Florida Legislature’s 2023 regular session concluded May 5, but people in the property insurance industry continue to offer ideas for the state’s distressed market. Here’s one...
Florida Driver in 116-mph Fatal House Crash Sentenced to 27 Years
May 11 2023 // A Florida man who was driving his Tesla at least 116 mph (186 kph) before crashing into a house and killing two people in 2021 has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. Vaughn Mongan, 45, of Palm Harbor, was sentenced...
Flood Requirements, Condo Inspection Rules Revised in Fla. Bills Sent to Governor
May 11 2023 // When a bill passed at a December special session of the Florida Legislature required all Citizens Property Insurance policyholders to buy flood insurance, many owners in high-rise condominiums were outraged. Already facing...
Florida Could Study Use of Radioactive Gypsum on Roads if Bill Signed
May 10 2023 // Florida may study whether a radioactive waste byproduct of fertilizer production can be used to help build roads under a bill passed by the Legislature. The proposal, which awaits a signature from Republican Gov. Ron...
Disney Updates Lawsuit Against DeSantis to Add New Developments
May 10 2023 // Disney on Monday amended its free speech lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis to add recent developments in the tit-for-tat fight between the entertainment giant and the Florida governor, such as a new law granting the state...
It’s Time to Roll up Our Sleeves and Rebuild the Florida Insurance Market
May 10 2023 // With the Florida legislative changes passed in December – prohibiting assignments of benefits and one-way attorney fees – there is now an opportunity to change the dynamic in Florida and create a more stable...
Light Duty or Scheme to Avoid Workers’ Comp Claim? Florida Appeals Court to Decide
May 9 2023 // Most people will be familiar with the posters at workplaces noting the number of days since a lost-time work injury. Well, there’s a dirty little secret behind that, one that helps employers avoid higher experience...
Florida-based Bankers Insurance Founder Menke Remembered for Entrepreneurial Spirit
May 8 2023 // Bob Menke, the man who founded St. Petersburg-based Bankers Insurance Co., one of the oldest property insurers in Florida, died last week at age 89. “The company that Bob founded in 1976 has grown into one of the...
The Impacts of Inflation: Uncertainty and Non-Modelled Loss
May 4 2023 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Insurers affected by Hurricane Ian’s damaging path across Florida at the end of September 2022 faced operational, regulatory and statutory requirements for...
Florida Lawmakers Approve Expanded Wind-Mitigation Program
May 3 2023 // More rich and more poor residents will qualify for home-hardening grants under an expanded My Safe Florida Home measure approved by lawmakers. House Bill 881, if signed into law, will raise the wind-mitigation grant level...
Florida Legislature Sends Windshield Repair Bill to Governor, Ending AOBs
May 3 2023 // The Florida House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would prohibit assignments of benefits for windshield repairs, sending it to the governor for his signature. Senate Bill 1002, passed by a...
New Risk Retention Group Requirements in Question as Fla. Session Winds Down
May 2 2023 // Risk retention groups may not be the sexiest of insurance topics, but they have gained new attention this week after the Florida House of Representatives approved a bill that would require strong financial ratings for the...
South Florida Jury Awards Woman $5.5M from Mold, Water Damage in Condo
May 1 2023 // A south Florida jury has awarded $5.5 million to a woman who sued her condominium association after years of water infiltration and mold that the woman blamed for the death of her longtime domestic partner in 2021. The...
Biden Declares Flooded Part of South Florida a Disaster Area
May 1 2023 // President Joe Biden declared Florida’s Broward County a disaster area Friday, two weeks after record-breaking rain left parts of Fort Lauderdale and its suburbs flooded. Gov. Ron DeSantis had requested the...
Florida Senate Approves Amended Insurer Accountability Act, Removes Some Reporting
Apr 28 2023 // The Florida Senate has unanimously approved an amended version of the Insurer Accountability Act, removing some reporting requirements for property insurers. The amended bill would continue to bar insurers from altering...
Florida Insureds Can’t Force Interest on Late Claims Payments, Courts Say
Apr 28 2023 // Two back-to-back federal court decisions may have dealt a lethal blow to recent proposed class actions that sought interest on property insurers’ late claims payments. But the rulings have left some insureds and...
Tesla Violated Law by Telling Florida Workers not to Discuss Pay, Conditions, NLRB Says
Apr 27 2023 // Tesla supervisors at a Florida service center violated U.S. labor law by telling employees not to discuss pay and other working conditions or bring complaints to higher level managers, a U.S. labor board official has...
