Articles by William Rabb

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 …

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 …

Fla. State Rep. Introduces Bill to Limit Condo Coverage to Actual Cash Value

A bill introduced by a Democrat and trial attorney would take a step toward something that property insurers have longed for in recent years – actual cash value coverage on roofs, at least condominium roofs. State Rep. Hillary Cassel, D-Dania …

State Supreme Court Upholds Attorney Fees in Tennessee Workers’ Comp Case

In what could be seen as a rare win for the claimants’ bar in Tennessee, the state Supreme Court upheld a $50,500 award of attorney fees, an amount that is almost double the workers’ compensation benefits paid to the injured …

Dash Cameras in Fleet Vehicles Are Key to Avoiding Nuclear Verdicts, Risk Managers Say

ORLANDO, Fla. — Cameras. One showing the driver and another facing forward. Those can be the keys to avoiding nuclear verdicts after auto and truck crashes, especially for companies with fleets of vehicles and relatively inexperienced drivers, two Crum & …

W.Va. High Court Rules Coverage Owed for Illness Claims Years After Policy Expired

Liability insurers that write in West Virginia and beyond received some unsettling and expensive news from the state Supreme Court last week: Without iron-clad policy language barring coverage, long-tail illness claims must be covered and a carrier has a duty …

11th Circuit Asks Fla. Supreme Court if Insurers Can Sue Auto-Glass Shops

The Florida Legislature earlier this year struck a mighty blow for auto insurers in their years-long fight against windshield repair shops, ending assignment-of-benefits and the practice of offering gifts to insureds. Now, the Florida Supreme Court could soon decide another …

Lighthouse Insurance Misled Hedge Funds Before it Collapsed in 2022, Lawsuit Claims

A Florida lawsuit brought by private equity fund Fortinbras Enterprises and three others charges that Lighthouse Property Insurance Corp. executives concealed the extent of underwriting losses after Hurricane Ida, even as the insurer solicited millions in fresh capital. And part …

With Eye on Florida, N.C. Lawmakers Overhaul Insurance Law

Insurance department omnibus bills in state legislatures are often seen as housekeeping or budget items that may revise regulatory language, fund insurance department positions, or clean up the wording of previous laws. But in North Carolina this year, supporters of …

More Frequent Convective Storms Plus Population Growth Equals Rising Insurer Costs

Hurricanes in the East. Wildfires in the West. Those are the big disasters that grab the headlines and are driving property insurance costs and cancellations, to a large degree, right? Yes, but insurers also are seeing a huge increase in …