FLORIDA GOV. RICK SCOTT TO NO-FAULT SWINDLERS: YOU’RE NOT WELCOME Signs anti-fraud reforms that target crooked clinics and providers WASHINGTON, May 4, 2012 – Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s signing of tough no-fault fraud reforms today is a welcome next step toward thwarting rampant bogus injury claims that are driving up auto premiums in the state, according to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. “It’s a sunnier day for Florida drivers. Crooked clinics and crash rings will have less room to maneuver. … →

A note from executive director Walter Dartland: Old, unused spare tires may be the deadliest product defect in your car. A spare tire can sit in your trunk for years and still look brand new, even though its inside has rotted away so much that the tire can detread without warning. The tire is especially dangerous on vans, SUVs and light trucks. I recently visited a local Discount Tires store for a regular tire rotation. The mechanic could not perform … →

ICYMI Insurance Networking News Florida PIP Reform Effects Fewer fraudulent claims and lower premiums a few effects of the passed personal injury protection reform By Juliette Fairley March 13, 2012 A House compromise proposal to revamp Florida’s personal injury protection (PIP) insurance squeaked through the Senate late Friday night just hours before the 2012 legislative session concluded. The measure (HB 119) reduces the types of medical treatments that PIP will pay for. “No-fault insurers have been besieged with fake injury … →

Contact: Walt Dartland 850-562-2086; wdart71@yahoo.com James Quiggle, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud 202-393-7331; jamesq@InsuranceFraud.org Statement from the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud NEW FRAUD LAWS RAISE HEAT ON QUACK-SHACK CLINICS Walt Dartland, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud* “These are the toughest PIP fraud reforms Florida has passed in years. The statehouse showed tremendous will and shared purpose to carve out a serious anti-fraud package with the clock rapidly ticking down. “The full-on commitment by Gov. Scott and his CFO Jeff Atwater lent critical … →

The Consumer Federation of the Southeast has issued a consumer alert regarding provisions in HB 1101. The letters below outline concerns about the racketeering of damaged motor vehicles. Please find three letters below from the National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program, the National Vehicle Service and a retired agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ICYMI Sunshine State News Bad, Bad Bills: Getting Consumer Protection Struck From the Statutes By Nancy Smith February 25, 2012 Rolling under the radar like a Stealth bomber, through committee after insurance committee, are HB 4087 and SB 1152 — among the worst proposed legislation of the 2012 legislative session. These bills smell fishier than a Key West cannery. (See bills attached below.)

By Walter Dartland Consumer Federation of the Southeast “We are aware of organized criminal groups which stage phony car accidents. Many of the staged automobile accidents involve highly structured groups…” With the rampant auto insurance fraud we see today in Florida, it would be easy to believe that quote came from the Governor or Chief Financial Officer. Actually, it came from then-FBI Director Louis Freeh, speaking back in 1995. Here we are 17 years later, still grappling with the same … →

Tallahassee, FL – As Florida lawmakers consider budget proposals that raid the Lawton Chiles Endowment and propose deep cuts to health care services – threatening some of the Sunshine State’s most vulnerable citizens – the Consumer Federation of the Southeast today urged lawmakers to impose an equity fee on cigarettes made by manufacturers who do not participate in the state’s historic tobacco settlement. Depending on federal matching dollars, the fee could generate anywhere from $50 million to $200 million to … →