Articles by Insurance Journal Staff Reports

COVID Liability Immunity Includes Slips and Falls at Hospital – Alabama High Court

When the COVID-19 virus spread across the country three years ago, dozens of state legislatures approved statutes that granted health care providers immunity from legal actions brought by people who claimed to have been injured by COVID treatments. “Absent wanton, …

Witness Affidavit Not Needed Before ‘John Doe’ Auto Suit Filed – SC Supreme Court

A driver may file a “John Doe” civil action against an unknown driver, even without first obtaining an statement from a third-party witness. But an affidavit must be produced promptly upon request, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided Wednesday. The …

State Farm Owes $2.6M to Florida, Court Says in Reading of ‘Dense’ Tax Code

State Farm Insurance and its subsidiaries owe the state of Florida more than $2.6 million in back taxes and interest after a state appeals court ruled against the insurer on an interpretation of state and federal tax laws. “We disagree …

Florida Bills Would Provide Millions in Flood Mitigation, Elevation Grants

Florida’s wind-mitigation grant program for homeowners has proven to be so popular that the governor has proposed another $107 million for it this year, and some experts have called home fortification the only way to significantly reduce insurance losses from …

Allstate Sues Florida Pain Clinics, Alleging Millions in Fraudulent Billings

After an Allstate Insurance investigation alleged that a well-known Florida pain clinic had conspired with an injury law firm and had fraudulently billed the auto insurer for unnecessary surgeries and risky procedures, Allstate took the unusual step of striking an …

Former Georgia Insurance Agent Wanted on Charges of Pocketing Premium Payment

A former Georgia insurance agent was missing Wednesday after he was charged with diverting a premium payment to his own bank account. Michael Durrell Preston Jr., 42, of Woodstock and Canton, was charged with insurance fraud and forgery, the Georgia …

KBRA: Florida Insurers Got Creative in 2023 but Higher Reinsurance, Storms Coming

Things are looking up in the buffeted Florida market, but reinsurance rates will continue to rise for the next two years, and a 2024 hurricane season could be busy. It all suggests that property insurers will continue to get creative …

Former Florida Adjuster Sentenced to Five Years in Robbing of Tampa Drug Dealers

A former Florida claims adjuster has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years of probation for her role in a scheme to rob alleged drug dealers in the Tampa area. Jasmine Weber, 28, of Tampa, a former …

Florida Trial Lawyer State Rep Offers Condo ACV Bill as a Solution to Costs

A bill introduced by a Democrat and trial attorney would take a step toward something that property insurers have longed for in recent years – actual cash value coverage on roofs, at least condominium roofs. State Rep. Hillary Cassel, D-Dania …

Florida Weekly Wage and Max Workers’ Comp Benefit See Biggest Jump Since 1980

The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation has released the maximum weekly wage benefit for 2024 and it’s the largest two-year jump in wages in more than four decades. Florida law sets the maximum indemnity benefit for injured workers at 100% …