Articles by Insurance Journal Staff Reports

Texas Jury Finds LSD Did Not Cause Spinal Injury, Requires Occidental to Pay HO Limits

When does a hallucinogenic drug become the direct cause of a catastrophic injury, triggering a homeowners’ policy exclusion? Not when a young man falls out of bed and is later moved by his comrades, potentially worsening a spinal injury, a …

Under New Owners, Florida’s TRUE Gets Slight Downgrade, Withdraws From AM Best

Six weeks after Trusted Resource Underwriters Exchange, a Florida-based reciprocal property insurer, announced it had received a $1.25 billion capital investment and new majority ownership, the AM Best rating firm has slightly downgraded the exchange’s financial strength and credit ratings. …

South Carolina House Endorses Paid Family Leave Insurance Bill

The South Carolina House of Representatives has approved a framework for paid family leave insurance in the state, sending House Bill 4832 to the Senate. By a vote of 110-0, the House last week passed the bill that would allow …

Captive Insurance Expert Pleads Guilty to Aiding Solar Ponzi Scheme Leaders

Remember the Carpoffs, the California couple sent to prison in 2021 and 2022 for running a $1 billion Ponzi scheme tied to mobile solar generators? The scheme that reportedly ensnared Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway and the Progressive insurance corporation? A …

Florida Bills on Litigation Financing, Wind-Mit Program Moving Along

Two pieces of legislation that could help reduce losses and litigation costs for insurance carriers are moving in the Florida Legislature: Litigation funding restrictions and changes to the state’s home-hardening program. By a vote of 15-5, the Senate Fiscal Policy …

‘My Safe Florida Condo,’ Pet Insurance Bills Passed by Senate Committee

First came the My Safe Florida Home program, providing matching grants to homeowners who fortify their homes against wind damage in exchange for premium discounts. Seeing the popularity and effectiveness of that program, Florida lawmakers last month introduced bills to …

Newer, Elevated Structures Had Much Smaller Flood Claims in Ian, FEMA Says

Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage in southwest Florida, with more than 37,000 National Flood Insurance Program claims, making it the fourth-most expensive flood disaster in U.S. history, says a new report from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. As other studies …

Former Agent Sentenced to 15 Years in ‘FastLife’ Scheme. Spent Funds on Insurance

A former Sarasota insurance agent and financial advisor has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for what prosecutors said was a scheme to defraud elderly residents out of $6 million. Phillip Roy Wasserman, 67, was convicted of fraud charges …

OSHA Fines Georgia Plumbing Contractor $186,000 After Fatal Fall Down Manhole

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined a Georgia plumbing contractor more than $184,000 for failing to take safety measures to prevent a fatal fall last summer. Robert Hall, a 34-year-old father of four, was asked to crawl …

Move to End Georgia’s Direct-Action Lawsuits vs. Trucking Insurers Gaining Steam

This year could be the year that Georgia joins most other states and repeals its direct-action law that has reportedly caused severe problems for trucking companies needing liability insurance. Several Georgia Republican legislative leaders and the state’s insurance commissioner said …