Articles by Insurance Journal Staff Reports

Unlicensed Roofing Contractor in Florida Charged After Soliciting Homeowners

Florida authorities on Friday charged a man with unlicensed contracting, insurance fraud and failing to obtain workers’ compensation coverage on his workers, after he solicited Tampa-area homeowners for roof replacement work. John Sutton, doing business as Kaizen Construction Group, had …

After Nonrenewals, Castle Key Files 53.5% Increase for Remaining Fla. Condo Policies

Two months after Allstate announced that a Florida subsidiary would non-renew 33,000 condominium policies, the company has filed for a 53.5% average rate increase. Castle Key Indemnity Co., which as of year-end 2022 held some 287,000 policies in Florida, making …

Kentucky Governor Signs Bill: Guaranty Fund Won’t Pay Claims from Self-Insurers

Kentucky’s governor this week signed into law a bill that seeks to make one thing perfectly clear: The Kentucky Insurance Guaranty Association will not pay claims from defunct self-insurers that are not members of the association. “The new law basically …

Update: Florida Bill to End AOBs in Windshield Repair Inches Closer to Finish Line

Auto insurance and tort-reform groups are keeping their fingers crossed after a second Florida House subcommittee approved a bill that would ban assignment-of-benefits agreements for windshield repairs, a measure that proponents hope will stem a flood of litigation aimed at …

Credit Outlook for Allstate’s Florida Unit is Negative, Reflects Deteriorated Surplus

The AM Best financial rating firm’s tepid outlook for Allstate’s Florida subsidiaries, Castle Key Insurance Co. and Castle Key Indemnity Co., has raised new questions about the subsidiaries’ and their parent company’s financial picture. AM Best last week posted a …

Former Florida Insurance Commissioner Named to BOD for Aspen Insurance

David Altmaier has moved from overseeing regulation of insurance companies to overseeing operations for one – the Bermuda-based reinsurer Aspen Insurance Holdings. Aspen announced Wednesday that Altmaier, who was Florida insurance commissioner for six years until he stepped down in …

Florida’s Reform Bill Means New Deadlines for Insurers, Insureds, Starting This Week

Senate Bill 2A, enacted into law in December, gave Florida property insurers some major relief on litigation costs. But it also required a number of consumer-friendly actions from carriers and sets new timetables on claims, starting this week, the Florida …

Georgia House Votes to Raise Workers’ Comp Benefits, Still Lower than Other States

The Georgia House of Representatives voted this week to raise the maximum workers’ compensation benefit amounts and to increase the maximum payout to dependent spouses. House Bill 480, sponsored by Rep. Lehman Franklin, R-Statesboro, and others, was approved by a …

Alabama Insurance Agent Charged with $600,000 in Fraud, Elder Exploitation

Authorities have charged an Alabama insurance agent, who formerly worked for Alfa Insurance, with more than $600,000 in fraud, theft and exploitation of the elderly. Bret Chappell, 43, of Warrior, Alabama, was arrested Monday and booked into the Blount County …

Georgia Bill Would End Direct Action Suits Against Insurers in Truck Accidents

Truck insurers would be able to avoid being named as defendants in lawsuits filed after trucking accidents under a bill moving through the Georgia General Assembly. Senate Bill 191, reported favorably last week by the Senate Transportation Committee, would repeal …