Florida senator proposes more accountability for insurers

TALLAHASSEE — Drawing pushback from insurance and business groups, a Florida Senate committee Wednesday backed a proposal that the sponsor said would increase “transparency and accountability” for insurance companies. The bill (SPB 7052) emerged as many Floridians continue trying to recover from last year’s one-two punch of Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole and after lawmakers passed a series of legal protections for insurance companies. While insurers have blamed many of their financial problems on heavy litigation, plaintiffs’ attorneys have long argued that insurers don’t properly handle claims and face a lack of regulatory oversight. Those arguments gained extra fuel last…