LMA NEWSLETTER May 17, 2021

The Knock on the Door

All too often, my office receives calls from consumers with a familiar story of “this nice person knocked on my door and promised me I could get a free roof …and I got a gift card for just letting them on my roof!”  And then the consumer goes on to talk about how they regret …

Alleged Home Inspection Scammers Busted

Posed as public adjusters

A pair of Miami women have been arrested for posing as public adjusters and filing false insurance claims, in a two-year long sting operation run by the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) and Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.  It’s this very practice that’s addressed in bills passed by the Florida Legislature …

Hurricane Season Nearing

Prepping for storms & fraud

Florida’s new Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie made a poignant point in a recent speech.  He warned against the “Amazon Culture” where people expect things quickly, including hurricane recovery.  “Had Hurricane Dorian actually hit Broward and Palm Beach County 18 months ago, as of this month, we would still be …

Special Session Begins

Update on insurance bills

The Florida Legislature is back at the Capitol in Tallahassee today for a scheduled weeklong special session to consider a gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  With coronavirus precautions now eased, this session will be fully open to the public, including the observation galleries in the House and Senate …

Resolving Claims of Assignees through Appraisal

by Robert T. Schulte, Esq.

One provision of the 2019 Assignment of Benefits (AOB) statutory change in Florida was the requirement that a claimant seeking compensation from an insurer as the recipient of an AOB from the insured “[m]ust, as a condition precedent to filing suit under the policy, and, if required by the insurer, …

RumbergerKirk Win: Limited Water Damage Endorsement

by Robert P. Barton, Esq.

For years, in an effort to limit exposure in water damage claims, insurance carriers have been introducing limited water damage endorsements into their policies.  Most endorsements limit coverage to $10,000 for damage caused by water.  Historically, insurance companies have had mixed results in the enforcement of these endorsements, with some …

Risk Averse Regulators

West Virginia’s potential game-changer

As a former insurance regulator, I can tell you that regulators are risk averse.  It’s the true actuary in them perhaps.  And for insurance commissioners, the political environment in which they must navigate at times, discourages inner leadership and creative innovation.  Yet we must remember that our insurance departments are also …

Florida’s Inventors

Florida’s capacity for innovation is embodied in the individuals who have dedicated their lives to the improvement of our great Sunshine State and the general livelihood of its citizens. To commemorate their achievements, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame has selected seven new inductees into its 2021 class. They include the inventor of the Segway …