Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. reimburses hurricane fund and pays more than $4M in fines for fraudulent storm claims.
An insurance company has reached a deal with Attorney General James Uthmeier to pay millions of dollars into the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) following allegations of fraud.
Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. agreed to pay some $30 million following a state investigation into allegations the company submitted numerous fraudulent claims for reimbursement in Florida, an Attorney General’s news release said.
The reimbursement is a result of prosecutors applying the Florida False Claims Act. It’s the first time the top prosecutor’s office in the state has secured repayment from a fraud case relating to corporate hurricane claims of that size.
“Our office secured the return of more than $30 million to the state’s hurricane fund from fraudulent insurance submission allegations following Hurricane Irma” in September of 2017, Uthmeier said.
“As Floridians, we know the impact that hurricanes can have on our state and how important recovery efforts are in a storm’s aftermath in helping residents start to rebuild. This office is committed to a healthy and stable insurance market for Florida homeowners, meaning insurance companies must play by the rules.”
The Attorney General’s Office investigation was triggered following a whistleblower lawsuit that was filed in Leon County. That’s when prosecutors began to look into the case...
By Matthew Knott and Nick Bonyhady April 19, 2025 — 5.54pm , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any tim...