WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — New data is revealing that only about 80% of the insurance claims filed in South Florida after Hurricane Ian have been closed, compared to closer to 95% on the west coast of Florida.
According to new data from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, after Hurricane Ian, there were 5,157 insurance claims filed in Palm Beach County, 6,917 in Broward County, 6,811 in Miami-Dade County and 3,160 in St. Lucie County.
According to the data, 81.3% of the claims in Palm Beach County have been closed, 72.7% in Miami-Dade County, 76.2% in Broward County and 89% in St. Lucie County.
Compare that to Sarasota County, 94.8% of the claims there have been closed. In Manatee County, it's 95.1% and in Lee County, which had the most claims filed in the state, it's 93.5%.
"Our analysis indicates the big difference between South Florida and the southwest coast is litigated claims," Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Information Institute, said. "Legal system abuse is something we've been facing in Florida for many years and the South Florida counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach have a very high level of litigated Hurricane Ian claims."
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Since Hurricane Ian, a new Florida law has passed that makes it difficult to file a frivolous lawsuit.
Earlier this year, WPTV spoke with company leaders at Florida Peninsula Insurance Co. in Boca Raton who said they've saved a lot of money since that law passed and that enabled them to pass a statewide rate reduction.
However, Friedlander said the legal challenges filed before the law passed, related to Hurricane Ian, still stand. They don't get thrown out because of the new law.
Friedlander said these types of lawsuits can take years before they reach the finish line.