Articles by Insurance Journal Staff Reports

Security First Accountant Charged with Siphoning $1.4M Through Fake Invoices

An accountant for Ormond Beach-based Security First Insurance Co. has been charged with stealing more than $1.4 million by creating false invoices and routing the funds to her personal accounts. Samantha Rae Link, 30, of Daytona Beach, was arrested Wednesday, …

Former Ga. Insurance Commissioner’s Conviction Stands, but Tax Repay Has to Wait

Former Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck’s fraud conviction stands, but he won’t have to pay part of the restitution until after he’s released from prison, a federal appeals court decided Monday. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found no …

AM Best Downgrades Alabama Muni Insurance Pool, Citing Law Enforcement Liability

The A.M. Best financial rating firm has downgraded the financial strength rating of the Alabama Municipal Insurance Corp., citing weather losses as well as law enforcement liability costs. “AMIC’s law enforcement liability segment has been impacted by claims going to …

Georgia Trial Lawyer Surrenders License After Using Insurance Settlement Proceeds

The Georgia Supreme Court has accepted the voluntary license surrender of a plaintiffs’ attorney who had been in practice for more than 45 years. Richard L. Middleton Jr., of Savannah, acknowledged that he had violated Georgia Bar rules by using …

Kentucky Official Pleads Guilty to Crop Insurance Fraud

A central Kentucky farmer who is also a county official has changed his plea, admitting to charges of crop insurance fraud. Randall Taulbee, a Bourbon County magistrate, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the federal government’s crop …

Starting July 1, Florida Insurers Face New Guardrails on Force-Placed Insurance

Starting Saturday, insurers and mortgage lenders for Florida homeowners will face some new restrictions on lender-placed insurance policies, thanks to a bill approved by state lawmakers this year. House Bill 793 takes effect July 1 and it bars what some …

USAA Settles Georgia Class Action on Underpaid Taxes in Auto Claims

A federal judge in Georgia has given preliminary approval to a $2.3 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that charged USAA Casualty Insurance Co. with underpaying for taxes on totaled vehicles. “The Court finds, subject to the final fairness hearing …

Court Agrees to Postpone One Lindberg Trial While Bribery Case is Retried

Embattled North Carolina insurance magnate and businessman Greg Lindberg won’t have to face two criminal trials in the same year, a federal judge has decided. U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn last week agreed to delay Lindberg’s upcoming trial on fraudulent …

Florida Gov. Signs One Last Bill, Allowing Higher Deductibles, More Storm Models

One of the last property insurance-related bills to come out of the 2023 regular session of the Florida Legislature was signed into law this week, potentially saving insurers some cash, giving them some flexibility on rate requests, and raising hurricane …

OSHA Says Fatal Florida Fireworks Fire Was Preventable, Fines Company $109,000

A December fire at a fireworks company warehouse, which killed four workers and gravely injured a fifth, was preventable, but the company will face just $109,375 in fines, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced. Magic in the Sky, …