Will 2018 finally be the year that property insurers and trial attorneys agree on legislation aimed at curbing costly claims abuses and excessive lawsuits? Read more from the Sun-Sentinel here
Florida’s ongoing battle with assignment of benefits (AOB) claims abuse was not a new topic in 2017, but it was certainly one of the hottest ones for Southeast readers. Read more from the Insurance Journal here
Florida state Rep. Carlos Trujillo will dissolve his law practice, withdraw from the law firm he founded and abandon his seat in the House if he is confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States. Read more from the Daily Business Review here
TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 12, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE:HCI), a holding company primarily engaged in homeowners insurance, with additional operations in reinsurance, real estate and information technology, today announced the appointment of Karin Coleman to Executive Vice President. Coleman has led the company’s corporate services department since 2009. Among other responsibilities, she [...]
This week’s approval of rate increases for policyholders in Citizens Property Insurance Corp. shows that Assignment of Benefits abuse is having a direct pocketbook impact on Florida families and is another clear indication that the Florida Legislature must resolve the AOB problem in the 2018 session. On Wednesday, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved [...]
A House committee on Tuesday backed changes to a controversial practice that insurers and business groups blame for “skyrocketing” property-insurance rates in Florida. Read more from the Jacksonville Business Journal here
Republican Sen. Anitere Flores, who represents the Irma-battered Florida Keys, said Friday that property insurance will be the “main” insurance issue she will tackle in the upcoming legislative session. Read more from Florida Politics here
The following is an opinion piece authored by Harold Kim, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. Florida consumers are used to paying higher insurance premiums in the wake of devastating hurricanes. But an entirely preventable, human-driven phenomenon is now driving rates even higher: Assignment-of-benefits (AOB) claims, in which home-improvement contractors and [...]
Within hours of a fire at Kelly Laub’s four-bedroom house in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., in June, four contracting companies showed up to offer rebuilding services. Each vendor wanted Ms. Laub to sign a document giving the contractor the rights to her homeowners insurance benefits, she said. In exchange, they offered to repair her home [...]
Below is a link to view a video produced by the Consumer Protection Coalition, which educates consumers on assignment of benefits issues. The Consumer Protection Coalition is a group of Florida associations, including the FPCA, working together to educate the media and legislators on AOB abuses. Click here to view the video