Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Insurance Company Disputes Effective Date of Flood Insurance Policy
Almost 500,000 insurance claims have been filed in Florida because of Hurricane Irma, and only 17 percent of those claims have been closed, according to recent figures from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. In fact, if you were in Irma’s path, you might have sustained… Read More »
Zombicon Wrongful Death Lawsuit and Suing Government Actors
Fort Myers recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit for a 20-year-old who was killed in the 2015 Zombicon mass shooting. The city agreed to pay Expavious Taylor’s estate $40,000, after having already spent $55,000 in other Zombicon-related settlements, including two personal injury awards made to men wounded during the shooting. Two other personal injury… Read More »
Florida Homeowners without Flood Insurance
Of the people living in Florida’s four southernmost counties, there are 1.3 million homes located in high-risk flood areas, according to data collected by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Of those 1.3 million, more than 861,000 don’t have flood insurance. The four southernmost counties are Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Collier, which are home… Read More »
Legal Guardianship Law in Florida
Certain people are incapable of making decisions for themselves, perhaps because of age or a mental or physical disability. For that reason, Florida law allows for the appointment of legal guardians. Legal Guardian for Elderly Nursing Home Resident Eight residents died at a Florida nursing home when the facility’s air conditioning system failed during… Read More »
Trump Delays Expiration of National Flood Insurance Program
Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida in September as a Category 4 storm, bringing substantial winds to communities across the state. Irma’s winds uprooted so many trees in Palm Beach County that it could be three months before officials can remove all of the vegetation debris, according to the county Solid Waste Authority. Water damage… Read More »
Emergency Order Temporarily Bars Property Insurance Rate Increases, Cancellations
Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier recently signed an emergency order temporarily barring property insurance policy cancellations and rate increases. Specifically, companies may not raise rates until December 3 or cancel policies between September 4 and October 15 (this includes policy nonrenewals). The commissioner did this because Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency… Read More »
Lawmakers Revive PIP Repeal Efforts
Efforts to repeal Florida’s no-fault car insurance system are once again under way. State Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, recently filed a bill that would replace the state’s personal injury protection (PIP) system with a requirement that motorists carry bodily injury coverage and medical payment coverage. This legislation is similar to the recent repeal-and-replace effort… Read More »
Nursing Home Where 8 Died After Irma Shines Light on Elder Abuse
Eight people died at a Florida nursing home that lost power for several days after Hurricane Irma passed through town. The Hollywood facility overheated when it lost air conditioning during the power outage, which may have caused the deaths and led to a mass evacuation. Local authorities found patients in “varying degrees of medical… Read More »
Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities Caused by Vehicles Backing Up
Motorists are not the only people at risk of injuries in car accidents; pedestrians should also be wary of reckless and negligent drivers, especially when a nearby vehicle is backing up. Sometimes drivers back up without looking or don’t notice someone in their blind spot. In June 2017, a 2-year-old boy died when his… Read More »
Most Dangerous Interstate in U.S. Is in Florida
As Hurricane Irma barreled toward Florida last month, hundreds of thousands of residents and tourists (maybe even millions) evacuated their homes and vacation rentals. In fact, the government mandated evacuations in certain areas, including in Tampa Bay. The mass exodus clogged roadways and exacerbated gas shortages — conditions ripe not only for traffic gridlock… Read More »