As of October 8, 2018 Governor Rick Scott has placed the following counties under a State of Emergency: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, and Citrus due to the devastation of Hurricane Michael. The commissioner has issued a general order to all insurance companies, entities, and persons that are subject to the Florida Insurance Code and that serve any of the counties included in the state of emergency. Between, October 7, 2018 and January 7, 2018, no Regulated Entity shall cancel or non-renew a policy of insurance or issue a notice of cancellation or non-renewal. All notices of cancellation issued or mailed ten (10) calendar days preceding October 7, 2018, affecting a policyholder in the Included Counties, shall be withdrawn and reissued to insureds on or after January 7, 2019. Click here to read more:

Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis today released the following statement on the Office of Insurance Regulation’s (OIR) approval of a 1.8 percent decrease in workers’ compensation insurance rates for Florida businesses. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) submitted the rate reduction request because of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Click to read more:

In this case, it appears the city of St. Petersburg may get a hefty legal bill, and the state of Florida could see its business-friendly workers' compensation laws blown to bits. ​ And why does that feel like karma? ​ Because the city turned its back on a St. Petersburg firefighter injured on the job nearly seven years ago. And because the state was too foolish to realize how much was at stake over what should have been a relatively simple negotiation. And so now the state Supreme Court has essentially slapped both the city and the state and, more importantly, Florida businesses could come unglued over the potential fallout. Click here to read more:

OSHA has issued violations and fines in the death of a driving instructor at an exotic car race track on Disney World property in Florida. Petty Holdings faces two violations and $7,000 in fines following the death of driver Gary Terry at Walt Disney World Speedway in April. The Lamborghini in which he was a passenger crashed into the end of a guard rail. Read more here:

May 3, 2023 Despite making up more than 40% of the global workforce, the average work environment is still designed for men, which puts women at greater risk of injury on the job. In fact, compared to men, women are more likely to develop at least one musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) – a painful, life-altering injury such as tendonitis, back strains and sprains, and carpal tunnel syndrome – while performing job-related duties. Read More

May 2, 2023 BLS data shows that of the 5,190 fatal workplace injuries in 2021, 680 were associated with falls from elevations, about 13% of all deaths. WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun a National Emphasis Program to prevent falls, the leading cause of fatal workplace injuries and the violation the agency cites most frequently in construction industry inspections. The emphasis program will focus on reducing fall-related injuries and fatalities for people working at heights in all industries. The targeted enforcement program is based on historical Bureau of Labor Statistics data and OSHA enforcement history. "This national emphasis program aligns all of OSHA's fall protection resources to combat one of the most preventable and significant causes of workplace fatalities," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. "We're launching this program in concert with the 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction and the industry's Safety Week. Working together, OSHA and employers in all industries can make lasting changes to improve worker safety and save lives." Read More

April 26, 2023 - A 35-year-old Polk County construction company owner will spend nearly four years in federal prison for a scheme that included defrauding the IRS while skirting worker compensation laws and laws governing the employment of undocumented immigrants. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle sentenced Mayra Velasquez, of Apopka, to three years and five months at a Tuesday hearing in Tampa. Along with serving prison time, Velasquez must pay $2.5 million in restitution and forfeit assets, including four properties in Davenport, Polk County. Click to read more.

April 10, 2023 — Workers’ compensation insurance companies have gone to an appeals court after an administrative law judge last month backed a state proposal that would set payment amounts for inpatient care at hospitals. Normandy Insurance Co., Zenith Insurance Co., Bridgefield Employers Insurance Co., Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Co., BusinessFirst Insurance Co. and RetailFirst Insurance Co. filed notices last week of taking the dispute to the 1st District Court of Appeal. The insurers have argued that a proposed rule issued last year by the Department of Financial Services’ Division of Workers’ Compensation was invalid. The case centers, at least in part, on what are known as “maximum reimbursement allowances,” or MRAs, that help determine how much workers’ compensation insurers pay to hospitals for inpatient care. The proposed rule would lead to insurers paying $7,000 a day for inpatients who do not need surgery or intensive care; $11,000 a day for patients who need surgery; and $13,000 a day for intensive-care unit treatment. Click to read more