Palm Beach Post Charles Elmore, April 12, 2017 Forget what people say. It’s what they really do behind the wheel that matters. A study released today suggests 92 percent of U.S. drivers with cell phones have used them while moving in a car in the past 30 days and Florida gets the nation’s worst score for such…
Sun Sentinel, April 12, 2017 Wayne K Roustan Florida ranks second only to Louisiana for distracted driving, according to a study released Wednesday. Drivers were scored on data gathered through the EverDrive motion-sensing app. It measured speeding, sudden acceleration, aggressive turning, hard braking and other movement while the driver’s phone was being used. It…
Ratings company Demotech is holding off on issuing large-scale ratings downgrades of Florida property insurers for now, after a number of insurers heeded its warning and boosted their claims reserves and policyholder surplus. The Insurance Journal article notes that the ratings firm said it is also monitoring three insurers — Prepared, Mount Beacon and Elements— that have…
A growing chorus of scientists is raising the alarm over reports of Trump administration budgets cuts that would affect climate change research and hurricane forecasting. The Miami Herald article reports that 32 Florida scientists voiced concerns over cuts to NOAA, since budget cuts would affect the network of satellites that help scientists understand weather threats…
Insurance Journal The insurance industry has an image problem. That is probably not really breaking news to anyone reading this, but it’s an important topic to discuss and one the industry can address and, believe it or not, an issue that can be resolved. The Florida Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Florida Insurance Summit held in…
Recent Florida Supreme Court decisions and ongoing abuse in Florida’s insurance market have led a ratings company to change the criteria it uses when rating insurers in the state. The announcement comes as insurers get ready to announce their 2016 annual reports that could indicate unfavorable results for many. Ohio-based Demotech — which rates 397…
If you missed the Florida Chamber Insurance Summit, February 1-3, 2017, read the news that was generated about rising property insurance rates, PIP, workers comp and so much more. South Florida’s leaky pipe problem poses risk to homeowners insurance By Mary Ellen Klas, and as reported in the Tampa Bay Times Five Things You Need…
DAYTONA BEACH – It’s not uncommon for plumbers called in to fix a broken pipe to ask a homeowner to sign an assignment of benefits form before making repairs. Faced with the immediate need, many agree to sign, which transfers the right to file an insurance claim to the plumber. In most cases, there is nothing…
News4Jax – Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – In a defeat for medical providers, a divided Florida Supreme Court on Thursday sided with Allstate Insurance Company in a dispute about fees paid to care for auto-accident victims. The 4-3 ruling focused on the personal-injury protection insurance system and attempts by Allstate to reimburse…
Florida Politics Michael Moline A state appeal court panel appeared skeptical Thursday of the Office of Insurance Regulation’s arguments that trade-secrets protections don’t exempt State Farm Florida from having to turn over business information for public scrutiny. The judges wondered whether the plain language of the trade-secret exemption in Florida’s public records law doesn’t protect…