Homeowners’ Insurer's QUASR Reports Shielded From Public Disclosure, Fla. Appeals Court Rules

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — County-level data regarding homeowners’ policies issued by State Farm Florida Insurance Co. constitutes a “trade secret” under Florida law and is therefore exempt from public disclosure, a state appellate court has affirmed.

In a March 20 opinion, the Florida Court of Appeal, 1st District, found the data “possesses independent economic value to others” and therefore meets the definition of “trade secret.”

Florida Statutes, Section 624.424(10), requires insurers doing business in Florida to file quarterly QUASR reports, providing the following county-level data about its policies: number of policies in force at the end of each month; number of …