Today, the American Consumer Institute (ACI) released a new study exposing the perverse incentives driving financial instability in Florida’s homeowner insurance market. The state’s generous fee-shifting policy has allowed attorneys to collect disproportionate attorney fees in assignment of benefit (AOB) lawsuits, encouraging more costly lawsuits. Today, Florida accounts for nearly 80% of the country’s insurance […]
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Sun-Sentinel: Florida’s Big Government Approach on Tackling Big Tech
If content moderation is the concern, it should be the U.S. Congress that revisits the current law, called Section 230, which provides specific rules to tech platform service providers. Having 50 states develop their own balkanized rules is counterproductive and grossly inefficient to the provision of national online services that consumers demand. Big government is not […]
Behind the Insurance Price Rise
Florida’s property insurance market is nearing collapse. This crisis is not caused by the billion-dollar storms that regularly hit the state but by unscrupulous attorneys who demand excessive legal fees to litigate claims in court. These legal actions have only homeowners in the Sunshine state facing double-digit premium rate increases on property insurance policies. Much […]
ACI Applauds Proposed Reforms To Florida’s Insurance Market
The Following is a Statement from ACI’s Policy Manager and Editor Edward Longe: “ACI praises the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee for advancing two bills that will provide much-needed reform to Florida’s insurance market. The State’s insurance market is currently facing a dual crisis of catastrophic storms and insurance fraud that are making policies unaffordable for […]
Citizens’ Rate Hike Could Stabilize Florida Insurance Market
Florida’s insurance market is in dire need of reform. In a recent state legislative committee meeting, Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier describes Florida’s insurance market as being unstable and unsustainable. Here’s why: While Citizens Property Insurance was intended to be only a “last resort” insurer for homeowners who could not get coverage from private insurers, the struggling […]
Orlando Sentinel: Legislators Must Balance Consumer and Market Needs on Genetic Testing Bill
They’ve become popular gifts on birthdays or holidays – the personal DNA testing kits that can tell you where your ancestors came from or even if you are predisposed to certain medical conditions. But as testing companies such as 23andMe and Ancestory.com have become more prevalent, providing insights to millions of Americans on the secrets […]
Legal Theatrics and Florida’s Bad Faith Laws
Legal Theatrics and Florida’s Bad Faith Laws Florida’s “Bad Faith” laws applying to Insurance companies have created a shameful mockery of justice. Bad Faith laws were originally intended to make legal representation available to people with limited funds. There are two kinds of bad faith claims. Insured people may have a first-party bad faith claim […]
Florida’s Third-Party Bad Faith Lawsuits
In Florida’s current justice system, anyone who feels that an insurance company has caused an unfair settlement of a claim can seek restitution in court. Unless they were parties to the original policy (a contract), they must wait until there has been a verdict or settlement in the original case. If an insurer fails to […]
Bad Faith Lawsuit Mess
Routine automobile crashes and insurance settlements are the normal business of insurance companies. Seldom is a courtroom or attorney needed, and usually the case is settled within the policy limits of the insured’s policy. In rare circumstances, however, there may be a dispute between an insured and his insurer. The insured may contend that his […]
How Florida’s Auto-Claim Settlements Become Lavish
Following an accident that results in minor bodily injury or property damage, it is customary for parties to exchange insurance information, notify their insurers, and fix the damages. This trusts that both insurers are working toward an amicable settlement, allowing the parties to resume their lives. Automobile insurance is intended to make that process efficient […]