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.

Update: Fannie Mae Guidelines Raise Concerns, Could Bar ACV Coverage for Homes

An updated guideline from Fannie Mae, if it stands, could throw a wrench into the property-casualty insurance industry’s move toward actual cash value for more homeowners and condo coverage. A Fannie Mae spokesperson said the government-backed mortgage corporation, which supports …

Florida Saw Jump in Workers’ Comp Cost per Claim in 2022-23, WCRI Report Shows

Call it the effects of wage creep during the pandemic, along with a little bit of creep in the duration of benefits. Employers and insurers in Florida saw a 7% increase in total cost per workers’ compensation claim in 2022 …

Cracks in O’Hare Columns Aren’t Insured Property Damage, Just Bad Product – Court

Cracked steel columns are not “property damage,” but are building products that are not covered by a contractor’s general liability policy, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decided in an opinion that lets St. Paul and other insurers off …

Miami Retirement Fund Class Action Alleges Globe Life Officers Concealed Fraud

After an investment research firm dropped a bombshell last month and sent shares of Globe Life Inc. plunging by 53%, the insurance company denied the allegations that officers had concealed fraud and sexual harassment issues. But this week, the City …

Fla. Regulators’ Effort to Remove Insurer Execs May Not Pass Constitutional Muster

Current and former leaders with Florida property insurers have had some strong reactions to state regulators’ recent efforts to oust company executives who previously helmed now-insolvent carriers. Some have called the unprecedented regulatory action unfair, misguided and impossible to substantiate, …

Insurers Get Green Light to Pay Less Than Billed Charges in Florida PIP Cases

The Florida Supreme Court has given auto insurers more flexibility in reducing payments for medical services under the state’s no-fault auto insurance law and may have finally put to rest years of questions about the much-debated statute. In answering a …

4,800 Claims Handled by Unlicensed Adjusters in Florida After Irma, Lawsuit Says

Two south Florida lawsuits against property insurers argue that two major carriers employed a business strategy of hiring inexperienced or even unlicensed claims adjusters after storms, practices that have led to “lowball” damage estimates that fall below deductibles. In one …

Workers’ Comp Apportion Evals Must be Well-Reasoned, WV Supreme Court Says

West Virginia law, like statutes in a number of states, allows employers to try and apportion contributions to a worker’s injury, including how much a pre-existing condition may have played a role. The employer/insurer holds the burden of proof. In …

Investment Funds File New Suits Over Lighthouse Insurance Collapse in 2022

Three investment firms connected to some of the best-known names on Wall Street have upped the ante in a legal dispute over now-insolvent Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp., based in Tampa. Fortinbras Enterprises, the managing partner of which is the well-known …

Supplemental Claims Don’t Need to Include Damage Estimates, Fed Appeals Court Says

A federal appeals court has, at least for now, put an end to lingering questions about some property insurance claims litigation: The insured does not need to submit a competing damage estimate when filing a supplemental claim if the policy …