Homeowners in Florida should prepare for yet another increase in their insurance premiums as more insurers are leaving or failing in the state.

Championed by industry groups and CFO Jimmy Patronis, a bill curbing auto glass repair lawsuits sped through its last committee stop in the House and now awaits a full chamber vote.

Litigation is rarely warm and fuzzy, but what’s unfolding in Florida between plaintiffs firm Morgan & Morgan and the insurance industry puts hardball tactics in a new light.

After years of giving Florida’s homeowners insurance companies largely what they wanted in an effort to stem rapidly rising premiums and insurer insolvencies, state lawmakers introduced a new approach this week: ‘insurer accountability.’

Two more lawsuits have been filed against several companies, including SeaWorld Entertainment, for a December explosion and fire at an Orange County fireworks company’s warehouse that lead to the deaths of four people and one person being severely burned.

The Florida Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a far-reaching bill aimed at helping shield businesses and insurance companies from lawsuits, with supporters saying it will rein in ‘billboard lawyers’ and opponents saying it will harm consumers.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says two state investigations have been launched following reports that insurance companies have been slashing Hurricane Ian payouts, leaving homeowners to foot the repair bill.

The House has passed a major legislative package to limit lawsuits against insurance companies and businesses.

When insurance adjuster Jordan Lee entered the cream-colored house battered by Hurricane Ian, the smell from the rain-soaked carpet made it hard to breathe. Piles of pink insulation covered the worn, white couches, he recalled, and poured from the collapsed ceiling, left gaping from the storm’s 150 mph winds

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has applauded the Florida House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking & Insurance for passing two significant bills aimed at reducing insurance lawsuit abuse.

In Family Security Insurance Co. v. Stein, Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal confirmed that, in a coverage action where the issue of coverage is in dispute, an insurer’s claim file and claim investigation materials are protected by the work product privilege.

Just days after some 90,000 policies from troubled United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. were transferred to Slide Insurance as part of a wind-down of the carrier, it was announced that UPC is officially broke and will soon be liquidated.

Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal recently affirmed a summary judgment entered in favor of a property insurer, holding that there is no conflict between the policy’s three year limitation for reporting hurricane claims and the requirement that the insured give prompt notice.

Florida legislation proposed last week would prevent the state’s motorists from assigning their legal rights in auto insurance claims to repair shops.

A Florida House Republican on Friday filed a proposal that would prevent motorists from assigning auto-insurance benefits to repair shops that can then pursue payments from insurers.