News & Events

Joshua Canton, Michael Bonfanti, and Taylor Hansford from the firm’s Tallahassee, Florida office recently tried a first party windstorm case in Flagler County. The Plaintiffs argued at trial that the damage to the tile roof and interior of the home was caused by a non-catastrophic windstorm. The Defendant argued that the damage to tile roof was the result of wear, tear, and/or deterioration. The Defendant also argued the interior damage was excluded from coverage as it was not the result of a wind created opening caused by a peril insured against. The jury found for the Defendant and awarded the Plaintiffs nothing ($0) for repair of the home. 

The Florida property insurance market is in dire financial straits, and the situation is getting worse. Insurance companies are struggling to do business in the state, leaving homeowners to pay the price through reduced coverage and higher premiums. Many of the problems the insurance industry faces are the result of unscrupulous contractors who raise the cost of doing business for insurance companies. Many insurers have left the state in the face of insurmountable challenges. While the state has responded by attempting to reform the industry, many of the root causes of the insurance crisis remain unaddressed.

Florida insurance companies and employers must closely track workers’ compensation developments. Workers’ compensation claims are a major expense for insurance companies. That’s why employers can expect to pay over one percent of their estimated payroll in workers’ compensation insurance costs. Even if there are no major annual changes each year, there are always some developments around the margins that will change both the costs and operation of the workers’ compensation program in the state. Here are some recent developments surrounding the workers’ compensation program and some that may happen in the immediate future. 

Florida has been known as one of the most difficult states for insurance companies to do business in. However, recently, Governor Ron DeSantis signed two important bills, Senate Bills 2D and 4D, into law that will change how insurance companies do business in Florida and the legal climate they may face. Given that the new laws take aim at some of the worst abuses propagated by plaintiffs’ lawyers, they can be thought of as consumer-friendly.

Property owners owe a duty of care to those who come onto their property when they hold their premises open to the public. Whether you own a business or any other type of establishment, someone who is injured on your property may try to sue you. Georgia law does not hold you automatically responsible by the mere fact that an injury occurred on your premises. Instead, a plaintiff would need to prove you were negligent. If they cannot meet their burden of proof, they cannot be awarded financial compensation. Below, we discuss Georgia’s premises liability laws in greater detail.