Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!
Florida Gov. Scott to Veto 75 mph Speed Limit Bill
Responding to pleas from highway troopers and the state’s sheriffs, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday he will veto a bill that could increase the speed limit on Florida highways from 70 to 75 mph.
Scott said that he has decided to “stand with law enforcement” who urged him to veto the legislation that narrowly passed the Florida Legislature late last month.
Earlier this month, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who was mourning a colleague killed after being struck by a vehicle told Scott that raising the speed limit “wasn’t a bright idea.” Trooper Tod G. Cloud also told Scott the job he feared the most was working an accident on Interstate 75 because people “do not drive with common sense.” Read more here.
Summary Judgment not allowed for Insurance Company if there is some Compliance with Examination Under Oath Requests
In Solano v. State Farm Florida Insurance Company, 4D12-1198 (Fla. 4DCA 2014), a Florida homeowner insurance claim case, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal held that it was improper to award summary judgment to an insurance company when the homeowner cooperated to some extent with the requests for an examination under oath.
Here, the insurance company demanded an examination under oath for both owners of the home plus their Florida public adjuster. The husband attended the examination under oath but the Florida public adjuster refused claiming that he could not be compelled to do so. The homeowner and public adjuster provided documentation to support the claim to the insurance company and cooperated with inspection requests. Read more here.
Florida Cat Fund Has $13 Billion As Hurricane Season Starts
Florida is heading into hurricane season with good news.
The state-created fund that backs up private insurers in Florida appears to be in very good financial shape again this year.
New projections show that the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund should have nearly $13 billion available for the Atlantic hurricane season that starts on June 1.
On Thursday, an advisory panel for the fund will hear Wall Street firm estimates on how much money the fund would have to borrow if Florida was hit with a devastating storm. Those estimates show that the fund should be able borrow more than enough for this year. Read more here.
No Hurricanes to Hit Southeast This Year, Say Coastal Carolina Forecasters
Scientists at Coastal Carolina University expect no hurricane to make landfall on the East Coast or in the Gulf of Mexico this year.
The forecast Tuesday anticipates a “below to near normal” hurricane season in 2014. Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
The school said the most likely forecast is for no landfall in the Southeast. The second most likely scenario would be for one hurricane to hit the East Coast and another to strike in the Gulf of Mexico. Read more here.
Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!
