Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida CFO Wants More Insurance Fraud Investigators, Education Campaign
May 16 2022 // Ahead of next week’s special legislative session, Florida’s chief financial officer is asking lawmakers for $6.5 million to fund 23 new investigative positions and to launch a public education campaign, part of...
Strems, Adjusters, Restoration Firm Settle Florida Citizens Lawsuit for $1M
May 13 2022 // A now-suspended Miami lawyer, along with the successor to his law firm, a public claims adjuster and a restoration company, have agreed to pay a total of $1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Citizens Property...
Florida’s Failing Insurers – Who’s Next?
May 12 2022 // Florida’s homeowners insurance market is in a perilous, precarious position. Florida has not been struck by a hurricane since 2018, yet there have been seven Florida insurer insolvencies in the recent hurricane-free...
Florida Restaurants Go Hungry in Federal, State COVID Suits vs. Lloyd’s
May 12 2022 // Florida restaurants have had little success in recent lawsuits against Lloyd’s of London over insurance coverage for shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, Florida’s 3rd District Court of Appeal,...
Risk Strategies Acquires Insurance Center of Central Florida
May 11 2022 // Boston-based specialty insurance broker Risk Strategies has acquired The Insurance Center of Central Florida (ICCF), a property/casualty insurance and risk management agency based in Melbourne, Florida. Terms of the deal...
Florida, Louisiana Ranked Highest for Auto Insurance Costs
May 11 2022 // It’s not just homeowners insurance costs that are high in Florida. A new report shows that Floridians continue to pay some of the largest auto coverage premiums in the country. The BankRate 2022 report shows that the...
Florida Lawmakers to Hold Town Hall Meeting Ahead of Insurance Special Session
May 11 2022 // Three Florida legislators will hold a town hall-type meeting Thursday to gain input from residents ahead of the special session called to examine the state’s property insurance issues. The gathering in Melbourne City...
‘Broken Arm Poster’ Can be Sent Via Email, Florida DWC Again Proposes
May 10 2022 // Workers’ compensation insurers in Florida will no longer have to ship posters to their insured employers if a rule change is finalized this summer. The familiar “broken arm poster” has been a fixture in...
OSHA Fines Florida Utility $500,000 for Power Plant Deaths of Five Workers
May 9 2022 // A Florida power company has agreed to pay a $500,000 fine for a 2017 explosion that left five workers dead. Tampa Electric Co. has pleaded guilty to violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard,...
Another Florida Insurer Adds Binding Arbitration Endorsement Amid Losses
May 9 2022 // Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Co. reported more losses for the first quarter of 2022 and a spike in its combined ratio. But company officials said Friday they are taking aggressive steps, including rate...
Walgreens Settles Florida Opioid Lawsuit for $683 Million
May 6 2022 // The Walgreens pharmacy company has reached a $683 million settlement with the state of Florida, halting a trial over state claims that the company improperly dispensed millions of painkillers that contributed to the opioid...
With Inadequate Natural Catastrophe Prices, Swiss Re Gives Florida a Wide Berth
May 6 2022 // Premium rates for natural catastrophe risks in Florida continue to be inadequate, which is why Swiss Re is giving that market a wide berth — for the time being, at least. “Historically we believe the Florida...
Florida Governor Said to Be Eyeing Texas-Style Litigation Law for Special Session
May 6 2022 // With Florida lawmakers set to convene in less than three weeks to face the swirling winds of the state’s property insurance crisis, Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to unveil a draft of the reform legislation he would like...
Seaglass Opens Workers Comp MGA in Florida
May 5 2022 // Seaglass Insurance Group, with offices in Estero, Florida, is a new managing general agent offering workers’ comp insurance through a national carrier, along with risk management and safety programs. Austin Seaglass...
New Agency Forms in Florida
May 5 2022 // Sentry Insurance Partners is a new, full-service agency based in Miami, with an office in Coral Gables, its principals said in a news release. The firm was founded by Andy Fajardo, a certified marine insurance...
Another Strems Law Firm Attorney Suspended by Florida Supreme Court
May 4 2022 // Fallout from the infamous Strems Law Firm’s litigation practices in Florida continues. Two years after Coral Gables plaintiffs’ attorney Scot Strems was suspended from practice for filing thousands of...
Rating Firms Urge Florida Lawmakers to Take Swift Action on Litigation, Cat Fund
May 3 2022 // Two insurance company rating firms have joined the call for Florida lawmakers to approve decisive measures to stave off financial disaster for more property insurers. Legislation passed in 2019 and 2021, designed to deter...
Medical Marijuana Industry Booming in Florida in Last Two Years
May 3 2022 // As in other states that have legalized medical marijuana, Florida has seen a huge increase in doctors, users and dispensary businesses in the last few years, thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Cannabis is one...
Florida Man Charged with Fraud After Claiming He Was in Uber Crash
May 2 2022 // A South Florida man has been charged in connection with what appears to be a new twist on auto insurance fraud. State and local authorities said that Victor Van Vickery, 33, of Delray Beach, claimed to be in a Uber ride...
People: Florida OIR’s Phillips Moves to Branch, Epic Hires Kennedy
May 2 2022 // Kennedy Joins EPIC’s Vanbridge EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a property and casualty insurance brokerage, announced that James Kennedy has joined the firm as a principal with Vanbridge, its financial...
