Articles by Michael Adams

Florida’s Citizens Faces Critics at Public Hearing Over Sinkhole Rates

Florida homeowners came by the hundreds in cars and buses to speak out against the state-backed property insurer’s plan to increase sinkhole rates by an average 429 percent. At an unprecedented public hearing in Tampa last night, Citizens Property Insurance …

Florida’s Citizens to Phase-In Big Sinkhole Insurance Rate Hike

Florida residents who have sinkhole insurance through the state-backed property insurer will see any premium increases phased-in over a number of years based on a new policy of the insurer. The Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board of governors held an …

Board of Florida’s Citizens to Meet Today on Sinkhole Rates

The board of governors of Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has called for an emergency meeting today to consider phasing in a proposed statewide average 429 percent sinkhole rate increase. Newly-named Chairman Carlos Lacasa has called for the meeting in …

Florida Court Backs Workers’ Comp Benefits for Illegal Workers

Florida employers may be under more pressure to document the status of their workers after a panel of state judges ruled that illegal residents who are injured on the job are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. The Florida First District …

Florida Supreme Court Upholds Household Exclusion in Auto Policies

Florida’s highest court has upheld the so-called “household exclusion” clause in automobile policies that states the injuries suffered by family members residing with an insured driver are not covered under the policy. The Florida Supreme Court in the case of …

Florida Supreme Court to Rule on Medical Malpractice Cap

Florida highest court will consider whether a $1 million cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases violates the state’s constitution. The Florida legislature enacted the cap as part of a 2003 law overhauling the state’s medical malpractice stature. Led …

Florida Targets Check Cashing Firms for Aiding Workers’ Comp Fraud

Florida officials, law enforcement officers and trade groups are lining up in an effort to stop checking cashing companies from facilitating workers’ compensation fraud in the construction industry. Headed up by Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, officials held the first …

Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Rates Continue to Drop

Kentucky regulators have approved the sixth straight reduction in workers’ compensation loss cost rates. Kentucky Insurance Commissioner Sharon Clark has approved a statewide average 7.5 percent decrease in loss costs rates. The new rates mean that the state’s loss cost …

North, South Carolina Coastal Insurance Plans Ready for Hurricane Irene

Caught square in the path of Irene, the first major hurricane of the season, the coastal insurance plans in North and South Carolina are prepared to absorb what may be their first major losses in years. Both plans appear to …

Insurers Oppose Change in South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Medical Fees

A new South Carolina regulation for calculating medical fees in worker injury cases has set off opposition from insurers and business groups that claim it favors certain medical providers over others and will increase costs for employers. The South Carolina …