Southeast News

Viewpoint: What Is ‘Incurred Cost’ in Insurance Policy? Florida Appeals Court Weighs in

Property insurance contracts often contain provisions requiring insureds to “incur” costs before insurance companies issue payments. For example, “ordinance or law” provisions provide “you may use up to 25% of the limit of liability that applies . . . for …

A 7th Person in Tennessee Has Died Due to Tornado-Producing Storms

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) __ A seventh person in Tennessee has died from injuries she suffered during a string of powerful storms earlier this month that whipped up destructive tornadoes, according to police. Penny Scroggins, a 78-year-old from Clarksville, died Saturday …

Florida Judge Slams Universal for ‘Stonewalling,’ Demands Answers from Company

Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. officials are discounting the significance of recent Florida judges’ rulings that have slammed the company for violating court orders, have forced Universal to default on lawsuits, have referred a Universal lawyer for disciplinary action, …

Are Billions in Wind Mitigation the Answer for Florida’s Insurance Problems?

While Florida’s property insurance landscape appears to be leveling out, much more funding is needed to fortify homes against hurricane winds and prevent devastating losses for insureds and insurers, a few panelists said at the Florida Chamber’s Insurance Summit last …

Rain, Gusty Winds Bring Weekend Washout to Florida Before System Heads Up East Coast

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It’s beginning to look at lot like … hurricane season — at least across much of South Florida, where it’s been windy and rainy for two days and the forecast predicts more of the same …

Southerners Are Rekindling a ‘Fire Culture’ to Boost Longleaf Pine Range

WEST END, N.C. (AP) — Jesse Wimberley burns the woods with neighbors. Using new tools to revive an old communal tradition, they set fire to wiregrasses and forest debris with a drip torch, corralling embers with leaf blowers. Wimberley, 65, …

CSX Train Derailment in Kentucky Was Avoidable, Lawsuit Claims

A group of Kentucky residents on Wednesday sued CSX, saying the railroad operator could have prevented a train derailment that spilled molten sulfur in remote eastern Kentucky on the eve of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. The proposed class action lawsuit …

A Year After Florida Adjusters Dropped a Bomb, They’ve Heard Little and Now Want Investigators Fired

One year ago, three independent claims adjusters stood before the Florida House Commerce Committee and charged that several insurance companies had frequently and misleadingly altered their damage estimates on wind claims. The chairman of that committee said the men’s allegations …

S. Carolina Insurer’s Bad Faith Causes $27M Loss from Policies with $2.5M Limit

Jose Castillo didn’t ask his insurance company to defend him from a lawsuit that alleged his shoddy construction caused millions of dollars in water damage to a townhouse project, so his insurer didn’t provide a defense. That turned out to …

Former Florida Adjuster Sentenced to Five Years in Robbing of Tampa Drug Dealers

A former Florida claims adjuster has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years of probation for her role in a scheme to rob alleged drug dealers in the Tampa area. Jasmine Weber, 28, of Tampa, a former …

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