Florida Insurance Law and Industry Resources
Insurance Litigation Group is pleased to provide the following links and resources for the benefit of public adjustors, policyholders and their assignees, who are interested in learning more about the business of insurance in Florida and on the national level. If you find yourself in need of legal assistance regarding an insurance property or casualty claim in Florida, call ILG at 786-529-0090 for a free consultation with our experienced and successful insurance litigation attorneys.
A.M. Best Company – A.M. Best is the company most often looked to for ratings of insurance companies both nationally and globally. Registration is required to search a company’s ratings, but registration and searches are free and can help you understand a carrier’s financial strength, issuer and issue credit ratings, and much more.
American Bar Association – Whether you are an attorney who practices insurance law, a public adjuster looking to stay current in this specialized legal field, or a policyholder or assignee with a specific insurance-related legal issue, the ABA’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) provides news, books and periodicals on civil litigation and insurance law. ABA members can get further involved by joining the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee or Property Insurance Law Committee.
American Insurance Association – At the website of this industry-funded trade organization, you can find a wealth of information on insurance, from the basics of how insurance works and definitions of insurance terminology, to an abundance of links to the many government agencies involved with the property and casualty industry.
Florida Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services – This page contains all the needed information for agents/adjusters and agencies/firms regarding requirements to obtain and maintain a license, the different types of licenses, and what each license is used for.
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation – The OIR regulates the insurance industry in Florida and helps ensure that insurance companies are complying with applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, OIR monitors the Florida insurance markets to see that consumers are being given fair rates. Here you can perform a company search to find information on any insurer active in the state.
Insurance Information Institute – The III is another industry-funded group that offers a variety of material to the public to help increase understanding of what insurance is and how it works.
McCarran-Ferguson Act – This federal law, beginning at 15 U.S.C. 1011 and continuing through section 1015, explicitly allows the individual states to regulate the business of insurance in their state, including the regulation of individuals engaged in the insurance industry.
National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds – Guaranty funds exist to reimburse a policyholder for a covered loss when the primary insurer is insolvent or does not have the ability to pay its claims, such as might occur after a hurricane or other widespread natural disaster. In Florida, the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association acts as the state’s property and casualty guaranty fund. These websites both provide basic information to aid in understanding what guaranty funds are and how they work.
National Conference of Insurance Legislators – NCOIL advocates for state legislatures in Washington on the topic of insurance, striving to keep regulatory authority with the states and out of the hands of the federal government. Sign up for their newsletter or follow their Twitter feed to keep up with the latest legislative developments and other information regarding the regulation of the insurance industry.