Florida legal disputes involve insurance rules and climate risk data

Florida is facing two distinct legal challenges regarding property insurance and risk assessment.

A unanimous Florida Supreme Court ruling has determined that homeowners with insurance policies issued before July 1, 2021, are not required to comply with new pre-suit notice requirements before filing lawsuits. The decision, which involved a dispute between homeowner Rebecca Hughes and Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company, resolves conflicting lower court rulings. The court found that the statute requiring a 10-day notice period does not apply to older policies.

Separately, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against First Street Technology Inc. in Polk County. The state alleges the company’s climate change risk assessments, which cover flooding, fire, and wind, are deceptive and ‘alarmist.’ Uthmeier claims the company’s data contradicts federal FEMA flood hazard classifications, leading to depressed home sales and increased insurance costs. First Street maintains that its methodologies are validated and based on the underlying physics of environmental perils.