Articles by William Rabb

With Back-to-Back Storms, Florida Now Facing Delays in Claims Adjusting

With Hurricane Milton now expected to produce several hundred thousand wind-damage claims and with the storm coming so soon on the heels of Hurricane Helene, industry leaders are bracing for significant delays in claims adjusting. “We’re competing with Helene,” said …

Unlicensed Work Does Not Void Contract With Condos, Florida Appeals Court Says

Being unlicensed as a contractor in Florida does not necessarily void a storm-remediation contract, a Florida appeals court said in a decision that could affect insurance defense strategy in hurricane claims. “This shows that it’s really important to know the …

How Big Was the Cat? Investigator Warns About Claims of Clogged Toilets

Did you hear the one about cat poop clogging a toilet, resulting in thousands of gallons of sewage water in the home and a big insurance claim? Lin Werkheiser, an insurance fraud investigator, has heard that one and many more …

Court Rules Lyft is a Motor Carrier and State Farm Can Be Sued Directly

Georgia lawmakers this year put an end to direct-action lawsuits against trucking companies’ insurers, but that did not come soon enough to bar litigation brought by people involved in accidents with ride-sharing services. The Georgia Court of Appeals this week …

The Murdaugh Drama Continues: Store That Sold Beer Now Suing its Insurers

The saga of the Murdaugh family in South Carolina continues, now with a convenience store company suing its liability insurers for failing to defend it against a second lawsuit stemming from the sale of beer to an underage Paul Murdaugh …

Client Mix-up Leads to Lawsuits, Bar Complaint Against Mississippi Comp Lawyer

What’s in a name? Thousands of dollars, a lost job, denied insurance coverage and the possibility of a suspended law license for a Mississippi workers’ compensation attorney, apparently. It all has to do with injured workers – both named Dorothy …

Health Systems Increasingly Targets of Cyberattacks But They Can be Ready

Just as a Southeastern U.S. blood center tries to recover from another cyberattack on a health system, others who have lived through the pain offered some words of wisdom in a webinar Tuesday that could help providers minimize disruption as …

Hurricane Debby’s Florida Claims Already Near 12,000

The number of Florida claims from Hurricane Debby, filed within five days of the storm, already is almost half of the the number of claims filed in Hurricane Idalia in a three-month period. Debby claims by Friday had reached more …

Court Rules Florida Insurer Can’t Object to Appraiser After the Award Is Decided

If a property insurer is going to object to an appraisal panel member’s fee arrangement, it must do so early in the process – not after the panel provides an unfavorable, multimillion-dollar appraisal award. That was the word this week …

Insurer’s Lack of Repairs Caused Woman’s Death After Ian, Florida Lawsuit Says

Just as another hurricane hit Florida, the child of a central Florida woman is litigating a claim from a previous storm – Hurricane Ian in 2022. This time, though, the plaintiff claims not only breach of contract by a Florida …