The Insurance industry is trying to scare the public, once again, in order to make bigger profits at the expense of Florida Citizens.  Currently, Florida recognizes a cause of action against insurance companies when the company does not abide by their duty to protect the insured under the language of the policy.  For years the insurance industry has made billions of dollars by denying, delaying and defending meritorious claims.  They will first deny the claim persistently in hopes that the insured will give up on their claim.  Then the insurance company will delay the claim in hopes that the insured will tire of the negotiations and accept pennies on the dollar.  If that doesn’t work, they will defend the claim and force the insured into lengthy and costly litigation in order that they may hold on to the money they owe and collect interest for as long as possible.

Recently, Tampa arrested several individuals associated with insurance fraud.  The alleged fraud stems from medical clinics abusing Florida’s “No Fault” insurance laws in order to make a profit by orchestrating staged auto accidents and/or billing for treatment that was not performed on the patient.  With regards to clinics billing for treatment never performed, the insurance industry has cracked down on this type of fraud by interviewing those that received treatment, under oath, to determine what treatment the patient received at the clinic and cross-referencing the testimony with the actual medical bills submitted by the clinic as part of a claim.