Articles by William Rabb

Rabb is Southeast Editor for Insurance Journal. He is a long-time newspaper man in the Deep South; also covered workers' comp insurance issues for a trade publication for a few years.

Uncertainty Over Whether Frontline’s KBRA Rating Will Be Accepted by Freddie Mac

Frontline Insurance Co. has sparked confusion and concern from agents and insureds after the carrier last week sent out differing information about its financial rating agency. The potential good news for agents and policyholders: Freddie Mac, the quasi-government corporation that …

Florida Supreme Court Disbars Notorious Plaintiff’s Lawyer. Infamous Public Adjuster Could Be Next.

Florida officials have taken strong action against two of the insurance industry’s most-detested adversaries, disbarring a notorious plaintiffs’ attorney who filed thousands of frivolous claims lawsuits and moving to revoke the license of a public adjuster that obstructed insurers in …

The Pickleball Explosion Comes with Opportunity, Challenges

If the insurance industry hasn’t noticed, the sport known as pickleball is exploding across the country. In the last three years, the number of players has jumped by more than 40%, by some measures. In Minnesota, some 600 courts are …

Florida Adjusters Say No Action on Charges of Insurers Doctoring Their Reports

Five weeks after three independent adjusters told Florida lawmakers that insurance carriers have frequently doctored their damage assessment reports, the men said they’ve had no contact from state agencies about the allegations. And they’re now disputing assertions from state officials …

Insurers Do Not Have to Defend in Opioid Litigation, Federal Appeals Court Finds

Two insurance carriers have no duty to defend or to indemnify Quest Pharmaceuticals in lawsuits brought over the drug distributor’s role in the opioid crisis, a federal appeals court decided last week. The opinion could bolster U.S. insurers’ arguments that …

Doctors, Insurers Clash on Florida Workers’ Comp Physician Dispensing Rules

Physician dispensing of medications has long been a flash point in workers’ compensation insurance, with at least 22 states regulating or restricting the practice. Florida is no exception to the controversy, and stakeholders on both sides of the issue joined …

Morgan & Morgan Sues Trademark Office over Refusal to Register Phone Number

Florida-based Morgan & Morgan, which calls itself the largest injury law firm in the country, has become one of the property insurance industry’s chief adversaries, facing off with insurers over thousands of auto accidents, homeowner policies and workers’ compensation claims. …

Jury Should Say if Lack of Captain Raised Hazard for Yacht Lost in Dorian, Court Says

For hurricanes with erratic paths that prove difficult to predict, property insurers could soon find it trickier to justify some claims denials for boats, yachts and other movable marine structures, thanks to a recent appeals court decision. The 11th U.S. …

The Infrastructure Crisis: As Business Losses Mount, New Demand for Utility Coverage?

When aging water pumps in Jackson, Mississippi, were shut down by floodwaters last August, knocking out water service to most of the city, companies that depend on clean water saw many of their customers and their revenue disappear overnight. And …

Florida High Court Upholds Slashing of Punitive Damage Award in Tobacco Case

The Florida Supreme Court has struck down $16 million in punitive damages against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as “excessive,” a decision that could bode well for insurers and businesses relying on courts to interpret state law strictly as written. “Text …