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.

Can Insurers Sue School Boards for PIP Claim Reimbursement? Florida Courts Differ

In 1997, Florida lawmakers tweaked the state’s personal injury protection or “no-fault” auto insurance law. The idea was to allow school kids injured in a school bus accident to have some of their medical bills covered by their parents’ auto …

Florida Governor Names Insurance Defense Lawyer to Appeals Court

The Florida property-casualty insurance industry, having seen wins and losses at the appellate court level in recent years, will soon have a familiar face on the bench that hears appeals for part of litigation-heavy south Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis last …

Changes at American Coastal Insurance After Florida OIR Action on ‘No-Fly List’

Florida regulators’ effort to enforce a 2002 state law and keep insolvent insurers’ officers out of carrier leadership roles appears to be a reason behind a significant shakeup at St. Petersburg-based American Coastal Insurance Corp. An official with Florida’s Office …

Insurer Can’t Rescind Workers’ Comp Policy, Even With Misrep, MS High Court Says

An insurer cannot rescind a workers’ compensation policy, even in the case of a material misrepresentation that could led to millions of dollars in benefits payments, the Mississippi Supreme Court decided last week. The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Act governs all …

Let Good Adjusters, Not Expensive Lawyers, Make the Difference on Claims, CEO Says

Harish Kapur, CEO of Across America Insurance Services, likes to tell the story of how his company’s chief defense lawyer became fed up with Kapur’s frequent requests for lower settlements on claims disputes. “He fired us. He literally fired us,” …

Coverage Needed: Hundreds of Thousands in SE Now in Flood Zones With New Maps

Many more properties, including hundreds of thousands of homes across Florida and other parts of the Southeast, will be required to purchase flood insurance after July 31, due to revisions in federal flood maps. For some of the most exposed …

Exclusion Does Not Exclude Coverage for Condo in Nashville Christmas Bombing

The insurance fallout from the Christmas Day 2020 bombing in downtown Nashville continues, with a federal court deciding this week that Aspen Specialty Insurance must cover millions in replacement costs for a heavily damaged condominium building. The insurer in 2021 …

Farmers Adjusters Cry Foul Over Workloads, Claims Handling in Letter to Regulators

Farmers Insurance officials this week said they have spoken with employees after receiving an anonymous letter, apparently from a group of in-house adjusters, accusing the insurer of understaffing and overworking claims professionals. “Farmers Insurance has always been a leader in …

Florida Citizens Board Votes to Raise Rates 14% But Litigation Costs Dropping

The board of governors for Florida’s state-created Citizens Property Insurance Corp. voted unanimously Wednesday to raise personal lines rates by an average of 14% statewide – near the maximum allowed under the insurer’s glide path – starting next year. The …

Thanks to AI, Industry Will Soon See Big Jump in Parametric Insurance, Consultant Says

Insurance agents must now embrace the use of artificial intelligence, but they won’t be replaced by it. And the use of parametric policies will soon increase sharply across property insurance lines because that coverage lends itself perfectly to data-driven AI …