Southeast News

Florida Lawmakers Finally Approved Workers’ Comp Physician Reimbursement Plan

For the first time in six years, Florida has a new health care provider reimbursement manual, governing workers’ compensation fees for doctors. But the manual already could be considered three years out of date. It also will soon face a …

Fla. Regulator Approves Roof Endorsements that Could Bar Non-Storm Claims

Despite the Florida Legislature taking major steps to rein in the cost of roof claims and litigation, at least two insurers have come out with broad roof endorsements that seek to bar claims for wear and tear, poor workmanship and …

11th Circuit Affirms Jury’s Middling Verdict in All-or-Nothing Hurricane Damage Case

Juries that are asked to resolve hurricane-damage disputes often hear widely varying damage estimates from expert witnesses. A decision by a federal appellate court on Monday demonstrates that once a jury decides on a number, insurers may need more than …

Judge Allows 3M, Florida City to Delay ‘Forever Chemicals’ Trial

A U.S. judge on Monday granted a delay of a trial in a lawsuit brought by a Florida city against industrial conglomerate 3M Co. over water contamination from toxic “forever chemicals,” after the parties said they were close to a …

Fla. Judge Slams SFR for Misrepresentations in Appraisals

SFR Services, a Florida restoration firm made famous by its volume of claims litigation and its charges that United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. had instructed desk adjusters to alter their estimates, now finds itself in some legal trouble of …

Fla. Claims Adjuster Charged with Filing $24K in Fraudulent Auto Claims

Florida investigators have charged a former Progressive Insurance claims adjuster with fraud, alleging that she used claimants’ identities to submit fraudulent auto claims, then pocketed almost $24,000 in settlements. Kiyuana R. Pasley, 41, of Homestead, was an adjuster at Progressive …

Murdaugh Indicted for Diverting Insurance Proceeds

Former South Carolina injury attorney Alex Murdaugh, convicted in March of murdering his wife and son, has been indicted on 22 federal counts of defrauding clients, laundering money, and diverting insurance proceeds into his personal account. Murdaugh set up a …

Partial Crane Collapse at Atlanta Construction Site Injures Four

ATLANTA (AP) – Four people were injured when a crane partially collapsed at a construction site in Atlanta, police said. Police and firefighters rushed Monday to the site in the city’s Midtown area. The four people who were hurt were …

As Lawyers Warned, Fla. Courts Flooded with Suits Before Tort-Reform Bill Signed

Just as the plaintiffs’ law firm of Morgan & Morgan warned, the number of Florida lawsuits filed across the state has shattered previous records, topping 280,122 in April, the Florida Bar reported. That’s more than double the previous record set …

Firefighters Heard, Couldn’t Rescue Two Killed in Massive North Carolina Fire

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Crews searching the rubble of a massive construction fire in North Carolina on Friday found the bodies of two people who firefighters couldn’t reach to save before the flames became too intense. Authorities didn’t identify the …

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