Florida Insurance & Legal Digest
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 12 items
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Today’s Florida developments in first-party property, bad faith, appraisal, SIU and fraud, auto, premises, title, and subrogation, selected for carrier-side counsel and claims professionals.
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Editor's brief
1. Swiss Re warns a Florida hurricane like the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane could cause $300 billion in insured losses, highlighting extreme exposure risks. Read
2. Florida Fourth District Court clarifies domestic violence victims’ statutory rights in bad faith insurance litigation, impacting carrier defense strategies. Read
3. Eleventh Circuit upholds AIG’s $1.8M coverage loss for Florida yacht fire, reinforcing limits on insurer recovery from third parties. Read
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Case Law and Opinions
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4 items |
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Bad Faith
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 4D2026-2262, 2026-09-16
The Fourth District Court of Appeal issued an opinion concerning the statutory rights of domestic violence victims in the context of bad faith insurance litigation.
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Why it matters: The ruling clarifies how bad faith claims involving domestic violence victims should be litigated in Florida, affecting carrier exposure and defense strategies in such cases.
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| Read the source |
CourtListener (Fla. Sup. Ct., DCAs, M.D./S.D./N.D. Fla.) | Sep 15, 2026 |
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Bad Faith
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 4D2026-0133, 2026-09-16
The Fourth District Court of Appeal addressed the issuance of an injunction related to a bad faith claim involving a frivolous action filed by an employee against an employer.
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Why it matters: This decision provides guidance on remedies available to employers and insurers in bad faith litigation involving frivolous claims, impacting defense tactics in Florida.
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| Read the source |
CourtListener (Fla. Sup. Ct., DCAs, M.D./S.D./N.D. Fla.) | Sep 15, 2026 |
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Title Insurance and Real Estate
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 5D2025-1127, 2026-09-10
The Fifth District Court of Appeal ruled that county commissioners must fund the property appraiser’s statutorily approved budget despite objections.
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Why it matters: This ruling affects the funding and operation of property appraisal offices in Florida, which can influence property valuation disputes and related insurance claims.
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| Read the source |
CourtListener (Fla. Sup. Ct., DCAs, M.D./S.D./N.D. Fla.) | Sep 9, 2026 |
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Title Insurance and Real Estate
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 6D2024-2140, 2026-09-08
The Sixth District Court of Appeal considered an appeal by a property appraiser against Walt Disney Parks and related tax authorities concerning property valuation.
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Why it matters: The decision provides insight into property tax valuation disputes in Florida, relevant to carriers handling real estate and title insurance claims.
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| Read the source |
CourtListener (Fla. Sup. Ct., DCAs, M.D./S.D./N.D. Fla.) | Sep 7, 2026 |
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First-Party Property
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3 items |
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First-Party Property Litigation Defense
Florida Congressman Byron Donalds proposes a plan aimed at reducing high insurance rates in Florida.
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Why it matters: Potential legislative or regulatory changes could affect how Florida carriers handle first-party property claims and rate setting.
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First-Party Property Litigation Defense
Kin announces a reduction of Florida home insurance rates by over 20%.
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Why it matters: Rate reductions may influence underwriting, claims volume, and litigation trends in Florida residential property insurance.
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First-Party Property Litigation Defense
A policyholder-side blog examines State Farm’s internal claims handling manuals and training materials related to hail claims and questions their application to fire claims in California.
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Why it matters: Provides insight into carrier claims handling practices that may influence defense strategies and claims investigations in Florida first-party property litigation.
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| Read the sourcePOLICYHOLDER-SIDE COMMENTARY |
Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog (Merlin) | Chip Merlin | Sep 16, 2026 |
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Premises Liability
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1 item |
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Premises Liability
The Second District Court of Appeal reversed a judgment against Busch Gardens Tampa Bay arising from an incident during a Howl-O-Scream event involving a minor on stage.
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Why it matters: The ruling clarifies premises liability standards in Florida, impacting carrier defense approaches in similar amusement park and event-related claims.
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Daily/Catastrophe Claims
The National Hurricane Center reports a small low-pressure area east of Bermuda with potential for development while moving westward over the subtropical Atlantic.
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Why it matters: This outlook informs Florida carriers and claims professionals about potential tropical cyclone development that could impact property and casualty claims handling and preparedness in Florida.
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| Read the source |
National Hurricane Center (Atlantic) | nhcwebmaster@noaa.gov (NHC Webmaster) | Sep 16, 2026 |
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First-Party Property Litigation DefenseDaily/Catastrophe Claims
Swiss Re warns that a Florida hurricane similar to the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane could cause $300 billion in insured losses due to increased exposure.
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Why it matters: Highlights catastrophic exposure and potential claims surge for Florida carriers, impacting catastrophe claims handling and reinsurance strategies.
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First-Party Property Litigation Defense
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed that AIG cannot recover $1.8 million from dock builder and subcontractor after a Florida policyholder’s yacht fire loss.
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Why it matters: The ruling affects subrogation and coverage recovery strategies for Florida property insurers in yacht fire claims.
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Title InsuranceReal Estate
DFO Management is close to acquiring Tampa-based Baldwin Insurance in a $7.7 billion take-private transaction.
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Why it matters: Significant transaction in Florida insurance brokerage sector may affect market dynamics and carrier relationships in title and real estate insurance.
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Prepared by Automated Intelligent Solutions, Inc. | Edition 78 | 34 sources checked (2 unavailable today)
This digest is an automated summary of publicly available sources and is provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Confirm every item against the primary source before relying on it.
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