Do some Florida property insurance companies hire independent adjusters to inspect property claims, then routinely alter their inspection reports to reduce estimated losses? Yes, and it’s a widespread and fraudulent practice, according to three adjusters who spoke Tuesday at a …
If the insurance industry hasn’t noticed, the sport known as pickleball is exploding across the country, especially in Florida, where more than 15 indoor clubs, replete with air conditioning, cafes, locker rooms, video training and other amenities are planned or …
A Florida appeals court has upheld the dismissal of no fewer than 16 auto glass assignment-of-benefits lawsuits against Progressive Insurance companies, perhaps putting an exclamation point on the enforceability of appraisal clauses and policy language that bars claims litigation. The …
Two Kentucky farmers and a relative have been indicted for falsifying crop damage and exaggerating the size of their fields in order to reap crop insurance benefits. A federal grand jury last week charged Randall Taulbee and James McDonald, of …
Researchers at North Carolina State University have added their voices to the growing number of people who say that federal flood maps are inadequate and misleading, causing thousands of homeowners to avoid needed flood insurance. “In fact, only about 4% …
The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is well equipped to handle losses from Hurricane Ian, which are now estimated to cost the fund about $10 billion, but it could mean the fund will have borrow billions next year – at steep …
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Florida’s chief financial officer has taken a hard line on insurance claims litigation, calling for an outright ban on assignments-of-benefits agreements. At a press conference in Cape Coral, a city hit hard by the …
In the hardest-hit parts of southwest Florida, many newer structures survived remarkably intact in Hurricane Ian’s winds, suggesting that updated Florida building codes are making a difference in reducing property losses, according to early assessments. “From what I saw, the …
While some analysts are predicting that the property insurance industry will be able to manage Hurricane Ian and its estimated $50 billion in insured losses, a few are now warning that the storm could significantly erode the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe …
A former attorney with one of Florida’s top insurance defense firms has been disbarred after the Bar said she engaged in repeated acts of neglect, deception and forgery. Erika Lynn Muller, until recently a partner with the Cole, Scott & …