Effort to Limit Third-Party Property Insurance Claims Stalls in Legislature

By Ron Hurtibise Sun Sentinel Insurance industry-backed bills aimed at restricting repair contractors’ ability to require homeowners to sign over insurance benefits before repairs can commence likely won’t become law this year, supporters and opponents concede. The bills — in the state House and Senate — stemmed from arguments by insurers that water restoration companies…

Assignment of Benefits Reform – Watch this Revealing Video

Florida homeowners are paying more in insurance premiums because of a scheme that abuses the “assignment of benefits” (AOB) law. In recent years, dishonest trial lawyers and contractors — generally water remediation firms, roofing contractors and plumbers — have come up with a new scheme involving AOBs and bilking the system. HB 669 and SB…

Personal Insurance Federation of Florida Releases TNC Legislation Guidelines

INSURANCE JOURNAL:  Transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft represent a promising technology that can serve consumers well in the future, but Florida legislators should clarify the insurance requirements for these services in state law in order to adequately protect both drivers and passengers, according to a statement by the Personal Insurance Federation of…

Assignment of Benefits Reform – 2015 Legislative Proposals: Protecting Consumers

PROTECTING CONSUMERS AGAINST INSURANCE SCAMS Overview Assignment of Benefits (AOB) is a legal tool intended to ensure the prompt payment of vendors (such as contractor repairing home damage) who provide services to policyholders without requiring a policyholder to be involved in the payment process. However, in recent years, unscrupulous trial lawyers and contractors (often water…

Assignment of Benefits Insurance Reform – 2015 Legislative Proposals: Fact Sheet

The issue: Assignment of benefits is a legal tool that allows a policyholder to direct their insurance company to pay a vendor directly for work performed to repair damage to a home or other property. However, in recent years, unscrupulous trial lawyers and vendors have used AOB to inflate claims and file costly lawsuits against…

PIFF Press Release: Clarity Needed for TNC Insurance Requirements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PIFF SUPPORTS TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY TECHNOLOGY, URGES LEGISLATURE TO CLARIFY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS   TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 17, 2015 – Transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft represent a promising technology that has arrived and can serve consumers well in the future, but Florida legislators should clarify the insurance requirements for…