Who is the other big insurance company? We dont have that in Florida anymore, property insurance lawyer Judd Goodall of Corless Zinober told Tampas ABC Action News Thursday. Thats a luxury that homeowners here just dont have.

Thats why those facing non-renewal notices from Nationwide in January must take the time to research the stability of smaller Florida insurance companies, said Goodall, who noted 70 percent of the states newest insurers are losing money.

State Farm Florida announced earlier this year its plans to pull out of Florida. Hurricane damage claims have for years strained Florida’s property insurance industry.

Media Contacts: Justin Herndon PR Firm: The Publicity Agency Email: justin@thepublicityagency.com Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7778 Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com

Patrick Flanary PR Firm: The Publicity Agency Email: pflanary@seligmultimedia.com
Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7781 Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com

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http://markets.about.com/about/?GUID=10351110&Page=MEDIAVIEWER

Corless Zinober You Tube

http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=1721&z=32

The shock came in the form of a letter from Amos’ bank.

Until this week, Amos says she never needed flood insurance for her home on 62nd Street North in St. Petersburg. But now, her bank says, she must take “immediate action” to get flood insurance.

In the nine years they’ve lived here, Amos says they’ve never had water in their house, despite the fact that they have a pond in their backyard. “To be not in a flood zone and all of a sudden to be in a flood zone, I don’t get it,” said Amos.

It turns out, FEMA – the government agency that designates flood zones – changed her zone in August. So now, the Amos’ home in Pinellas County is smack dab in the middle of a “high risk flood zone.” ”

I’ve been going from one number to another number to another number to try and get an answer,” said Amos.

10 Connects tried to get answers for Amos by sitting down with property insurance expert, Ted Corless of Corless  Zinober, PLC.

Corless says FEMA has the right to adjust flood zones but homeowners have rights too. “There’s a possibility the designation was made incorrectly,” said Corless.

Amos can dispute FEMA’s flood zone change but proving it to the bank is a tough task. “It’s unlikely the lender is going to back off unless they get some indication that the designation was an error,” said Corless.

That process could cost money but it is probably less than the coverage would cost. Amos got a couple of quotes from insurance companies already. “It is another $1,300 a year,” said Amos.

Even if Amos decides to dispute the zone change, she still has to get the coverage within 45 days. If she wins the dispute, she will be credited any money already paid.

Erica Pitzi, 10 Connects Reporter

See Full Story at:

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=113590

PASCO COUNTY (Bay News 9) — Earlier this week, residents in the Beacon Woods subdivision in Hudson watched a home nearly get swallowed by a massive sinkhole. The driveway, walkway and a large part of the lawn are now gone.

The damage caused by the sinkhole could serve as a reminder to homeowners to make sure they have proper insurance coverage.

The good news for homeowners is that such damage is very uncommon. However, attorney Ted Corless, who handles a lot of sinkhole cases, said that, although most damage is more subtle, it can add up over time.

“The cost of sinkhole repair can be absolutely catastrophic,” he said.

Corless said that is why it is important for homeowners to know whether they have insurance.

In January, a bill goes into effect that allows insurance companies to automatically drop sinkhold coverage on policy renewals in Pasco and Hernando counties unless a customer specifically requests it.

“If you get a renewal notice and you notice a dramatic decrease in the premium, you had probably better discuss that with your agent to make sure you have sinkhole coverage,” Corless said.

Lawmakers said the purpose of the new rule is to bring insurance rates down, which they hope will encourage private insurers to start doing business again in Pasco and Hernando counties.

All policies will still have to cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, which will protect homeowners against major damage that leaves their homes uninhabitable. However, it doesn’t cover smaller claims.

“If you don’t have the coverage, your house is almost worthless,” Corless said.

To read the full story click the link below:
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/9/5/517309.html

To see the video coverage of this story, click the link below:
http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Sinkhole_Coverage_95

Mr. Zinober stated that Mr. Frye’s capture and conviction should make people ”feel really good about  the job the police department did in this case.  They caught this guy quickly [and] there gonna get him off the streets. I don’t think he is ever going to get out again”.

To see this story click on the media file:

09 03 09 Zinober on Rapist story WFLA 

Tampa Criminal Defense Lawyer Says Rapist Should Never be Free Again

For more information ont his story, click the link below:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/03/031727/police-arrest-suspect-wanted-wednesdays-manhunt/

Tampa, Fla. / State government wants State Farm out, but as new companies attempt to come into Florida, homeowners could be stranded without solid protection for their most valuable asset, according to property insurance attorney Ted Corless.

Corless, who has spent a decade representing Florida homeowners as well as the smallest and largest insurance companies like St. John’s and Nationwide, says smaller companies like People’s Trust cannot be easily trusted.

The Office of Insurance Regulation says the Boca Raton-based company violated several state rules covering insurance companies including but not limited a provision whereby the company was writing more policies than it had the ability to pay.

“Imagine just two weeks ago, you were insured with State Farm,” says Corless. “You see this company advertise on TV saying ‘State Farm may be a good neighbor but not yours anymore.’  So, you dump your State Farm policy and sign on with People’s Trust, only to see they may have completely mismanaged the company. With other people doing the same thing, when a big storm hits, Florida homeowners are screwed.”

Most recently, Corless Associates has been helping homeowners and insurance company representatives deal with new challenges in the insurance market. The departure of State Farm immediately puts nearly a million homeowners in the undesirable position of shopping for new coverage just before hurricane season.  Factor in a hostile relationship between Governor Crist and the major insurance carriers, and it’s a storm onto itself.

State Farm requested a nearly 50% rate hike and when the state said no, the company announced plans to pull out.  State government vowed to lower premiums without regard for the impact it might have on the value and quality of service insurers provided to Florida homeowners.  Ultimately, many companies with established reputations in servicing their customers had to either operate at a loss or not operate at all. State Farm was one of the last large insurance carriers still writing policies in Florida.

Now, it’s expected that smaller companies with little or no experience in Florida will be covering nearly a million property owners.

“It’s not to say the smaller companies can’t do things right, but certainly the example of People’s Trust shows the inherent problem of dumping off so many policies at any given time,” says Andrew Bragg, Esq. of Corless Associates.  “The state must step up and educate the public about the situation and consumers must take a proactive stance to learn about any new company they might be considering.”

For more information about Ted Corless, please visit: http://thepublicityagency.com/ted_corless.html

To schedule an interview or speak with either Ted Corless or Fred Zinober, please use media contacts below:

Media Contacts:

Justin Herndon, The Publicity Agency

Email:  justin@thepublicityagency.com

cell:  (813) 528-6815

Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com

Glenn Selig, The Publicity Agency

Email:  glenn@thepublicityagency.com

Phone:  (813) 948-7767 or cell: (813) 300-5454

Web site:  www.thepublicityagency.com

About Ted Corless: Ted Corless, Esq. has represented major insurance companies and homeowners for more than 10 years. He is recognized as one of the leading insurance attorneys in Florida, having previously represented most of Florida’s largest property insurers in over 1,000 property insurance disputes, including damage associated with sinkhole, windstorm, fire, and blasting activities.  He has trained hundreds of insurance adjusters and speaks regularly on the topic of educating the public and assisting with insurance legislation. He holds a bachelors and law degree from the University of Missouri and is licensed to practice in Florida, Kansas and Missouri.

About Corless Associates: The firm represents individuals and families along with small and large companies with plans tailored to meet the specific needs of its clients. As a large organization, Corless Associates is able to offer value while also mandating a policy of individual attention.

Tampa, Fla. / As Florida sets the stage for State Farm’s exit from the state, a leading insurance litigation attorney warns homeowners to carefully examine their options before selecting a new insurance carrier so they don’t end up in court. 

“People should realize it’s not good enough to just have an insurance company. While that, in itself, is a task, it isn’t necessarily the solution,” says Ted Corless, of Corless Assoc., who is recognized as one of the leading insurance litigation attorneys in Florida. “The property insurance issue hasn’t been solved.  In fact, the worst may be yet to come.” 

Corless says newer, smaller companies are swarming the state looking to attract business from displaced policyholders—some of whom have as few as 6 months to find new coverage. 

He says the problem started with newer carriers coming in that are not in the same league as companies like State Farm.  Simply put, all property insurance coverage is not created equally.

“Consumers need to educate themselves,” says Corless.  “With State Farm, many homeowners were able to trust that the coverage they needed was there and in the event of a catastrophic event they would be taken care of.  That may not be the case with these other, mostly unknown, companies.”

Punta Gorda residents got a quick lesson in insurance coverage during the summer of 2004 as Hurricane Charley came ashore.  The major insurance companies were on-site almost immediately and handed out checks to help restore a sense of normalcy to their policyholders.

But that might not happen when smaller companies take over more than 700,000 State Farm policies which cannot be renewed as the insurance giant leaves the state, says Corless.

“When you buy an insurance policy, you buy more than just a piece of paper.  You buy the reputation and expertise that will ultimately decide the ease of your claim and the resolution of your loss,” says Corless, who has spent a decade representing homeowners throughout Florida as well as small and large insurance companies like State Farm, St. John’s and Nationwide.  Most recently, Corless Associates has been helping homeowners and insurance company representatives deal with the new challenges of insurance.

After back-to-back hurricane seasons with above normal activity, Florida property insurance companies have asked the state for rate hikes to handle the risk they take on in the current environment.  But state government vowed to lower premiums without regard for the impact it might have on the value and quality of service insurers provided to Florida homeowners.  Ultimately, many companies with established reputations in servicing their customers had to either operate at a loss or not operate at all. 

State Farm requested a nearly 50% rate hike and when the state said no, the company announced plans to pull out.  State Farm was one of the last large insurance carriers still writing policies in Florida.

Corless fears smaller companies, lacking experience in Florida, will likely have just a handful of people on staff located in a different state overseeing local policies following a catastrophic event, leaving them ill-equipped to respond properly.  There’s also concern smaller companies will not be able to dispatch on-scene help to homeowners, who can’t wait until these less experienced companies engage a disaster. 

 “Explain to me how a small company, with adjusters located in Tulsa, can get here and handle a storm with 1,200 claims, when they have 5 adjusters,” says Corless.

The problem, he points out, is that new insurance companies are not evaluated by the state for how well they could handle a major storm, and homeowners have no way of evaluating this at the time they choose to insure with them.

Some of the key questions for consumers now should be:

-      What are the steps involved if I ever am involved in a major disaster, such as a hurricane, windstorm, or fire?

-      If there is a major event in Florida, what is the Company’s plan of action, and how fast can I expect a response, especially when I have no power or water at my home?

-      How quickly should I expect a response on the ground?

-      What experience does the Company have in dealing with major storms or other catastrophic events.

 “The solution is going to be an informed consumer and the state of Florida needs to be involved in that process. All we hear about is ‘premiums, premiums, premiums,’ but there’s more to it than that.  Now is the time to become an educated consumer and get involved,” Corless concludes.

For more information about Ted Corless, please visit: http://thepublicityagency.com/ted_corless.html

To schedule an interview or speak with either Ted Corless or Fred Zinober, please use media contacts below:

Media Contact: 

Justin Herndon, The Publicity Agency

Email:  justin@thepublicityagency.com

cell:  (813) 528-6815

Web site: www.csalegal.com

 Glenn Selig, The Publicity Agency

Email:  glenn@thepublicityagency.com

Phone:  (813) 948-7767 or cell: (813) 300-5454

Web site:  www.csalegal.com

About Ted Corless: Ted Corless, Esq. has represented major insurance companies and homeowners for more than 10 years. He is recognized as one of the leading insurance attorneys in Florida, having previously represented most of Florida’s largest property insurers in over 1,000 property insurance disputes, including damage associated with sinkhole, windstorm, fire, and blasting activities.  He has trained hundreds of insurance adjusters and speaks regularly on the topic of educating the public and assisting with insurance legislation. He holds a bachelors and law degree from the University of Missouri and is licensed to practice in Florida, Kansas and Missouri.

About Corless Associates: The firm represents individuals and families along with small and large companies with plans tailored to meet the specific needs of its clients. As a large organization, Corless Associates is able offer value while also mandating a policy of individual attention. The attorneys and staff specialize in property insurance litigation, family law and criminal defense cases.

Fred Zinober brings his nationally recognized civil practice to the new firm. While at the high profile firm operated by Barry Cohen, Zinober represented Ms. Lai Chau, a University of South Florida student who was shot after she was abducted from her apartment complex in North Tampa.  A jury returned a $15 million dollar verdict, which included $10 million dollars in punitive damages making it one of the largest of its kind in a negligent security case.

Zinober also made headlines with his defense of the company that owned the Ethan Allen, a ferry boat that capsized in Lake George, New York, killing 20 people and injuring many others.

Ted Corless founded the original practice focusing on property insurance and civil litigation. Corless earned his experience at the blue-chip law firms of Carlton Fields and nationally recognized products liability firm Shook Hardy & Bacon while defending Big Tobacco.  He has capitalized on that experience by fighting some of the biggest law firms in the South and winning. Corless recently defeated the Merlin Law Group in a sinkhole damage case in what has been described as one of the first victories of its kind in Florida history.

Corless has spent the last ten years representing Florida homeowners as well as many property insurance companies from State Farm to St. John’s and Nationwide.  He’s gone to trial in dozens of cases and either saved or garnered millions of dollars for his clients in the process.

“Unlike the billboard lawyers in town, we don’t prepare cases to settle. We prepare them for trial,” says Corless. “Many of the cases Fred is involved with come to us from other law firms which need the depth few lawyers can provide. Add that exposure to our staff of 10 attorneys and a state of the art tech practice and we deliver.”

Corless Zinober also looks to expand its criminal practice.  Zinober is no stranger to complex criminal cases, having returned six not guilty verdicts in capital cases with one of the only “not guilty by reason of insanity” verdicts in Pinellas County, Florida.  Zinober appeared recently on Court TV and A&E’s American Justice, a television program spotlighting his representation of Oba Chandler, who was tried for the murder of three women from Ohio visiting the state as tourists.

The new duo plans on a hard-line, technologically advanced, strategic style focused on real experience and results, not billboard advertisements.

“The synergy between our practices is obvious,” says Zinober. “Unlike most other law firms that claim they ‘try cases aggressively,’ Corless actually has.”

For more information about Ted Corless, please visit: http://thepublicityagency.com/ted_corless.html

To schedule an interview or speak with either Ted Corless or Fred Zinober, please use media contacts below:

Justin Herndon

The Publicity Agency

Email:  justin@thepublicityagency.com

cell:  (813) 528-6815

Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com

Glenn Selig

The Publicity Agency

Email:  glenn@thepublicityagency.com

Phone:  (813) 948-7767 or cell: (813) 300-5454

Web site:  www.thepublicityagency.com

About Corless Zinober: Joining forces in the summer of 2009, Ted Corless and Fred Zinober combine their years of trial experience and successful verdicts to create an aggressive, smash-mouth style law firm covering the entire Bay Area.  From high profile criminal cases to major civil litigation from privacy and security issues to insurance losses after a hurricane, Corless Zinober promotes an aura of high stakes law with major results.

Zinober has become a partner in the firm, a release said.

The Tampa firm will be trial-oriented and designed to handle high stakes civil and criminal cases in Florida.

Zinober made headlines while trial counsel in the high-profile Oba Chandler case. Chandler was charged with murdering an Ohio woman and her daughters.

Read more at Tampa Bay Business Journal

1. Hire the Lawyer, Not the Law Firm.
A majority of our larger, institutional clients joined our community after leaving a firm who marketed from one vantage point, but delivered an entirely different product.  Larger firms will present to clients on the idea of a particular level of depth, training, and experience, only to substitute a less experienced attorney who may never have actually met the client.  This concept is known as “leverage,” in the legal field.  The experienced lawyers are rewarded financially for locating the legal assignments and not actually working on the cases.  The work is primarily done by the less experienced lawyer working his way up the ladder.

The answer?  Meet your lawyer.  Talk to her.  Ask who else will be working on the file.  Most importantly, read your bill.  If you see another attorney billing on your file, you may need to discuss who is providing the representation on the file.  Warning signs include lawyers who do not return phone calls, or who always seem to be unavailable when you call.  Recognize, too, that your lawyer may not always need to call  you, and may be saving you money by having someone else respond to you.  Either way, it is important for you to define your expectations with the attorney.

2. Larger Law Firms are Dinosaurs.
Most large law firms – firms with more than 40 lawyers – suffer from a loss of a majority of their attorneys within a short legal career.  According to a survey conducted in 2007 by the National Association of Law Placement, 37 Percent of associates leave large firms within the first three years, and 77 percent resign within five years.  As the average length of a lawsuit is just short of 2.5 years from demand to settlement, the majority of legal clients can expect to lose a significant portion of their legal talent during the lifespan of any particular lawsuit.  Even for lawsuits that may exist for short periods of time, large organizations for their clients to endure frequent and costly transitions arising from the movement of legal assignments between associates moving in, and out, and over.

The opposite situation exists when you hire a smaller firm, who may lack the necessary experience, or who may market itself as being able to handle every conceivable area of practice.  You need to know whether the law firm has the depth to be able to handle the case regardless of the direction it takes itself.  Litigation is a lot like military operations; nothing ever turns out as planned.  Make sure if you are using a smaller firm that they have the flexibility and strength to handle all contingencies.

3. When hiring a small, one or two lawyer law firm, approach with caution.
Most family law or criminal defense clients believe they only need one attorney, which is usually correct.  The problem, though, is that attorneys who operate small, solo or so law firms subject their clients to their schedules and resources.  Oftentimes, when the case actually starts getting heated, your attorney is forced to seek the assistance of other law firms, who may not be aware of the day-to-day occurrences on your case.

The most common problem with smaller operations, too, is that they oversell their ability to represent most matters.  If you find a law firm that has 2 attorneys, but claims to practice in 17 different areas, they are likely engaging the client, but referring the client to other attorneys.  This is permitted by the Florida Bar, and often causes confusion with individual clients.

Our business model has always been that to succeed in this business, you must set the pace and be on the offense.  We currently employ 10 attorneys, who work daily together on our clients’ business.  By keeping this depth, at no additional cost to our clients, we are able to present a defense that focuses entirely upon the needs of the client, and less upon our individual availability.  We also have found that a depth of representation also allows us to resolve matters quicker than most, given our ability to test our opponents commitment to the process.

4. It’s the Technology, Counselor.
The technology available to law firms is limitless, yet most legal organizations are notoriously light on new hardware and software innovations.  Frankly, lawyers in most firms, although well compensated, are cheap when it comes to technology.  The available methods designed to streamline processes and enhance client-attorney interface are limited only by the creativity of the service provider.  Nonetheless, these opportunities require a firm that’s motivated to make the necessary capital investment and integration of these components into their day to day practice.

With the necessary technology at our disposal and our team approach, we work with each client to create a unique professional relationship tailored to the specific objectives of our clients.  We believe technology plays a crucial role in this.  We were recently utilized by a national company to use our work flow and document management system as a template for all of their regional law firms.  Our efficiency makes our lives as lawyers easier, and reflect savings to our clients.  For us, that’s just good business.