The Hurricane Katrina insurance coverage litigation along the Mississippi Coast was a once in a lifetime event for most attorneys. For me, it was obvious from the first day we landed at Stennis airport that this was where the Super Bowl of insurance coverage litigation was going to be waged for the next several years. … Continue Reading
The Windstorm Conference is in full swing. I was introduced to an engineer, Bruce Holmes. He told me that he was very upset with his colleagues and others in the insurance industry. He asked if I could refer others to his website where he has a proposal for change and action.… Continue Reading
My appointment by Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist to the Citizens Mission Review Task Force afforded me the opportunity to learn about and have a small voice in the Florida insurance marketplace. At War With the Weather: Managing Large-Scale Risks in a New Era of Catastrophes is a significant academic work which our regulators and legislators … Continue Reading
(Note: This Guest Blog is by Ruck DeMinico, Knowledge Manager with Merlin Law Group). In State Farm Florida Ins. Co. v. Seville Place Condominium Ass’n, Inc., No. 3D08-2538, ___ So. 3d ___ (Fla. 3rd DCA, October 14, 2009) Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal held that an insured could amend their complaint to add a bad … Continue Reading
I once told an Allstate Insurance Company adjuster that if forced, I was going to sue over a very small matter, less than a thousand dollars, because it simply was not right that Allstate was taking “betterment” deductions on the adjustment of an automobile comprehensive coverage loss to a friend of mine. This small county … Continue Reading
As this is being posted, I am providing an ethics seminar to Florida public adjusters along with Merlin attorneys Bob Reynolds and Michelle Claverol. This follows my earlier posts on the topic, Public Adjusters Sued in Class Action for Wrongful Conduct–Are Unauthorized Practice of Law Class Action Suits Next? and Public Adjusters Targeted by Lawyers for … Continue Reading
Segal v. Hartford Ins. Co., No. 09-10588, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13215 (11th Cir. June 18, 2009) Most insurance policies contain a liberalization clause. Always look for them because a liberalization clause means that any change in the law broadening coverage would benefit the policyholder, even if the change happened in the middle of a … Continue Reading
In the last week, two Florida cases have been released which discuss prejudgment interest. In Sunshine State Insurance Co. v. Davide, 34 Fla. L. Weekly D1422a (Fla. 3d DCA 2009), Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal held that when an insurer erroneously withholds a portion of a payment due, the insured is entitled to prejudgment … Continue Reading
As we have seen with the Katrina and Wilma litigation, courts will enforce the anticoncurrent causation clause, standard in most all risk and wind insurance policies. Many who suffered total losses could not fully recover because they did not have adequate flood insurance. Generally, policyholders with insufficient flood coverage limits fall into three categories: Those … Continue Reading
Amy Boggs has an interesting case against QBE Insurance Company which has recently moved from the contract portion of the case to the claims practice a/k/a Bad Faith case. The condominium client we represent is The Dorsett House Condominium Association which was damaged from Hurricane Wilma. QBE Insurance Company insured many condominiums in Florida and has … Continue Reading
(*Note: This Guest Blog is by Jean Niven, an attorney in the Tampa office of Merlin Law Group). Hurricane season is fast approaching, leaving coastal residences and businesses vulnerable to the whims of Mother Nature. Surviving natural disasters should not be just a warm up to the difficulties encountered in filing an insurance claim. The … Continue Reading
The probability of a ruinous event happening may change behavior or cause you to insure to reduce the misery. The greater the financial misery, the more likely you are to insure yourself when it strikes. The greater the chance of the event happening, the more likely you will take measures to avoid the misery. The … Continue Reading
A Broward County Court has approved a class action settlement on behalf of more than 12,000 State Farm Insurance policyholders in Florida who will receive 100 percent of the damages they requested in a $6.8 million settlement of claims filed last year in which they alleged the insurer refused to pay replacement costs of screen … Continue Reading