Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Workers’ Comp Agency Sets Workshop for Rules on Exempt Officers
Nov 7 2022 // The Florida Division of Workers Compensation will hold a workshop Nov. 16 on proposed changes to rules that govern when and how corporate officers can exempt themselves from workers’ compensation coverage. Current...
Hurricane Ian Wrecked Man-Made Reefs, Brings Algae Bloom to Florida
Nov 4 2022 // Hurricane Ian not only ravaged southwest Florida on land but was destructive underwater as well. It destroyed man-made reefs and brought along red tide, the harmful algae blooms that kill fish and birds, according to...
As Special Session Nears, Florida Chamber Urges More Property Insurance Reforms
Nov 2 2022 // Florida is in the midst of a swirling storm with a property insurance market that has been described as in free fall. In late August, we marked the 30th anniversary of Category 5 Hurricane Andrew making landfall in South...
Exclusion Wording Not Clear, Florida Appeals Court Says in Air Quality Case
Nov 1 2022 // Despite repeated references to “water damage,” the ambiguous wording of a policy exclusion by Southern-Owners Insurance Co. does not necessarily bar those types of claims, a Florida appeals court found in a...
Lawyer Who Fought Florida Helmet Laws Died in Crash Without Helmet
Oct 31 2022 // In the late 1990s, when Florida bikers were still required to wear helmets, Pinellas lawyer Ron Smith was an aggressive advocate for overturning the law. Smith was a member of ABATE — A Brotherhood Against...
Florida Cat Fund May Borrow Billions Next Year, Even Without Another Storm
Oct 28 2022 // The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is well equipped to handle losses from Hurricane Ian, which are now estimated to cost the fund about $10 billion, but it could mean the fund will have to borrow billions next year –...
Fagan to Replace Koscielny at Florida Peninsula Insurance
Oct 26 2022 // The Florida Peninsula Insurance group of companies announced that Joe Fagan will replace Michael Koscielny as vice president of underwriting for Peninsula and its subsidiary, Edison Insurance Co. Fagan Fagan has spent 16...
Florida High Court: Settlement Stands, Even Though Comp Insurer Named on Check
Oct 25 2022 // Adam Sounders agreed to settle his personal-injury lawsuit against a trucking company for $500,000, but pulled out of the deal when he received a settlement check that included a workers’ compensation lien holder as...
With Less Reinsurance for Reinsurers, Prices Set to Rise Again for Florida Carriers
Oct 25 2022 // It has been three weeks since Hurricane Ian struck Florida on Sept. 28, 2022. The storm took at least 119 lives and caused estimated insured losses ranging from $31 billion to $74 billion, with most estimates in the $60...
Hurricane Ian Came at the Worst Possible Time for SW Florida Agriculture
Oct 24 2022 // Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida at the worst possible time for many in the agricultural community, cutting a path through the heart of Florida’s citrus belt and smashing tomato fields just before the...
Florida Offering $5 Million to Help Needy Hurricane Victims Pay Insurance Deductibles
Oct 24 2022 // The Florida Housing Finance Corp. is providing $5 million to help low- to moderate-income families and individuals in six counties hit by Hurricane Ian to pay their homeowners’ property insurance deductibles, Gov....
Florida Sees Rise in Flesh-Eating Bacteria Amid Ian Flooding and Destruction
Oct 21 2022 // Florida has seen an increase in cases of flesh-eating bacteria this year driven largely by a surge in the county hit hardest by Hurricane Ian. The state Department of Health reports that as of Friday there have been 65...
Florida Governor Plans to Call Second Special Session to Tackle Insurance Crisis
Oct 21 2022 // Florida’s besieged property insurance industry is hoping the second time will be the charm, after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he is working with lawmakers to schedule another special session to help stablilize...
Hotaling Insurance Services Merges with Florida’s Akumen Insurance
Oct 21 2022 // Hotaling Insurance Services, a brokerage and risk management team, has merged with Akumen Insurance Advisors of south Florida. The deal becomes effective Jan. 1. Terms were not disclosed. Akumen CEO Vince Castro will...
Florida CFO Calls for Ban on Assignments of Benefits, Limits on Public Adjusters
Oct 20 2022 // In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Florida’s chief financial officer has taken a hard line on insurance claims litigation, calling for an outright ban on assignments-of-benefits agreements. At a press conference in Cape...
Search for Answers Begins After Small Plane Hits House in South Florida
Oct 19 2022 // Federal authorities are investigating what may have caused a small plane to crash into a house in a south Florida neighborhood, killing the pilot and a passenger early this week. The single-engine Aventura II went down...
Legislative Action Aims to Ease Florida Homeowners Insurance Market Struggles
Oct 17 2022 // This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. Florida’s struggles to retain a property and casualty (P&C) insurance market have made headlines and spurred a special legislative session this year. With a...
Lessons from Hurricane Michael Being Applied to Ian Recovery in SW Florida
Oct 17 2022 // Four years before Category 4 Ian wiped out parts of southwest Florida, the state’s Panhandle had its own encounter with an even stronger hurricane, Michael. The Category 5 storm all but destroyed one town, fractured...
Series of Tesla Fires in Florida Linked to Saltwater Damage From Hurricane Ian
Oct 17 2022 // A Florida senator is calling for action from the Transportation Department and automakers after a series of electric vehicle fires tied to Hurricane Ian. The storm caused flooding and destruction across the state, and fire...
Florida Building Codes Made a Big Difference for Newer Homes in Ian, Reports Show
Oct 17 2022 // In the hardest-hit parts of southwest Florida, many newer structures survived remarkably intact in Hurricane Ian’s winds, suggesting that updated Florida building codes are making a difference in reducing property...
