Articles by Amy O'Connor

O'Connor is the Southeast editor for Insurance Journal and associate editor of MyNewMarkets.com.

Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down State Cap on Temporary Disability Benefits

The Florida Supreme Court has delivered another blow to Florida’s workers’ compensation system with a ruling today that the state’s statutory 104-week cap on temporary disability benefits is unconstitutional. The Florida Supreme Court ruled 5-2 in favor of the of …

South Carolina Commissioner Farmer: Lessons from Historic Floods

South Carolina’s coastal property insurance market is strong, but the state’s significant catastrophe risk remains an ongoing threat and not one that should be taken lightly. That is the message South Carolina Insurance Director Raymond Farmer hopes to get across …

Encompass Insurance Exits North Carolina Personal Lines

Encompass Indemnity Insurance, an Allstate Insurance company that sells business through independent agents, has exited the North Carolina personal lines market. As of May, Encompass is no longer renewing business in the state. However, the departure of the company, which …

NCCI Seeks to Raise Florida Workers’ Comp Rates by 17% in Light of Court Ruling

Florida businesses could soon be paying almost 20 percent more for workers’ compensation coverage. In response to a recent decision from the Florida Supreme Court, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) filed a 17.1 percent rate increase with the …

South Carolina Insurance Head Talks Lessons Learned After Historic Flood

South Carolina’s coastal property insurance market is strong, but the state’s significant catastrophe risk remains an ongoing threat and not one that should be taken lightly. That is the message South Carolina Insurance Director Raymond Farmer hopes to get across …

Encompass Insurance Exits North Carolina Personal Lines Market

Encompass Indemnity Insurance, an Allstate Insurance company that sells business through independent agents, has exited the North Carolina personal lines market. As of this month, Encompass is no longer renewing business in the state. However, the departure of the company, …

South Carolina Evaluating Policy Discounts for Homeowners

The South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDOI) has issued a data call for property and casualty insurers writing residential property in the state in an effort to inform its coastal homeowners of the discounts available for performing risk mitigation work …

South Carolina Issues Data Call of Risk Mitigation Policy Discounts

The South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDOI) has issued a data call for property and casualty insurers writing residential property in the state in an effort to inform South Carolina’s coastal homeowners of the discounts available for performing risk mitigation …

Special Report: Execs Warn of Impending Florida Market Crisis Over Water Loss Claims

Abuse of assignment of benefits (AOB) from water loss claims has become a full-blown Florida insurance crisis that will mean higher insurance rates next year and for the foreseeable future for every Florida policyholder, according to Citizens Property Insurance Corp. …

Florida Insurance Commissioner McCarty Signs Off: ‘It’s Been a Labor of Love’

It’s not for the faint of heart, I can tell you that… Anyone who comes in here and thinks it’s an easy job really does not have any idea what they’re getting into. But it’s been a joy…It’s been a …