Florida coalition of businesses and residents looks to stop auto insurance fraud

With auto insurance fraud becoming a major concern in Florida, a number of law enforcement agencies, business associations and state resident groups have come together to form the Gear Up Florida coalition. The coalition aims to combat fraud in the state and help protect consumers from the havoc it can cause on their finances. Insurance prices in Florida have been rising due to staged car accidents in recent years. The coalition believes that the primary cause of this lies in the state’s no-fault auto insurance laws. Though insurers often get…

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Lloyd’s enters Florida’s reinsurance market on the heels of new law

Lloyd’s of London, one of the world’s leading insurance and reinsurance specialists, is entering Florida’s reinsurance market. The company joins several other reinsurance organizations flocking to the state to take advantage of a new law that reduces capital requirements for reinsurers. The law, first introduced in 2009 but only recently passed, is an attempt to attract more foreign reinsurance companies to do business in the state, thereby reinvigorating the somewhat stagnant market. Because of the law, Lloyd’s has been approved to do business in the state. According to the law,…

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Florida’s Citizens Insurance will limit rate increase over the next several years

Earlier this year, Florida’s largest home insurance company, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., proposed the largest rate increase in the state’s history. The company sought to increase the average rates of insurance policies for homes and business by 400% throughout the state, along with a proposed 2,000% increase for certain, risk-prone counties. The proposal was opposed by several consumer advocacy groups, but that opposition proved futile as state insurance regulators approved the proposal. Since the approval, lawmakers have been struggling to find a balance between enacting the rate increase and granting…

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Auto insurance fraud on the rise – a call for serious change in Florida insurance system

Florida continues to combat auto insurance fraud despite new measures introduced to combat the problem. While the number of accidents in the state is on the decline, the occurrence of fraud continues to grow. Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty claims that widespread fraud has led to premiums for auto insurance to soar by $900 million since 2008. The mounting problem has lit a fire beneath Governor Rick Scott, who is now petitioning the state Legislature to make changes to both the insurance industry and its regulations to put an end to…

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Massive rate increases from Florida’s insurance program approved

Early this week, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance proposed massive rate increases for sinkhole coverage. On average, policies would be impacted by an increase of 428% throughout the state. The proposal was seen as excessive by many consumer advocacy groups, but the insurers that make up the state-run program argue that higher rates are needed to combat fraud. Despite the best efforts of opponents, the proposals were passed as part of Senate Bill 408. Now that the new rates have been approved, Florida residents can expect to pay a lot more…

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