They say patience is a virtue and in Florida they are finally paying dividends. After years of runaway lawsuits and surge in insurance costs, Governor DeSantis made a real change in 2023 through historic tort reform measures. But despite its clear success, some lawmakers in the pocket of trial lawyers spent the legislative meeting to quietly dismantle these reforms and push forward a bill that would retreat Florida.
Despite efforts from Trial Bar, Floridians are overwhelmingly supportive of Governor DeSantis and the proven success of tort reform. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has recently investigated that 85% of Floridians continue to support governor reform, while 75% support Billboard trial lawyers who made a profit in front of people. The public’s message could not be clarified. Stop the game and protect your progress.
Unfortunately, some people in Tallahassee did not get a note. Defeating both data and voter will, a handful of lawmakers with deep connections to the trial lobby, pushed forward with multiple bills aimed at dismantling the very reforms that were working.
Through the careful hard work of Congress and the sustainability of thousands of Kara supporters, only one measure was able to reach the governor’s desk. And why doesn’t he do that? The results speak for itself.
The governor’s 2023 civil justice reform aimed to prevent the abuse of lawsuits that choke our courts, namely, the fraud of transparency damages and attorney fees. According to CNBC, Florida is currently ranked as the fifth best state in the nation for business, and the insurance market is ultimately stable. Additionally, the Insurance Regulation Agency reported that 29 insurers applied without increasing, with 15 people lowering their fees.
And here’s it: Frivolous lawsuits are plummeting. According to Guy Carpenter & Company, litigation applications in Florida fell 58% in just three years. This is the direct result of closing legal loopholes that encourage unfounded claims. Justice is for the injured, not for the opportunists.
The impact of Desantis’ reforms has even reached the national stage, with the Wall Street Journaleditorial Board recently acknowledging a continuing decline in premiums for Florida residents. It’s not abstract. This is a real relief for homeowners and consumers who suffer from the high costs of litigation abuse.
When the governor rejected a harmful bill that amended the misleading “free kill” bill, he did more than protect good policies. He called for a political theatre. The reforms of the DeSantis verse never limit the individual’s ability to seek justice when their loved one suffers from an unlawful death. What they did was to draw a clear and reasonable line of who could file a lawsuit.
The rejected law would have attracted lawsuits from large families that opened the door wide and had little or no connection to the deceased, and had no opportunistic claims and emotionally manipulative lawsuits. It’s not true accountability or fairness. That’s jackpot justice.
As almost 24% of Florida’s Congress are lawyers, trial bars certainly have friends. But Floridians have many like-minded lawmakers with Governor DeSantis: small businesses, working families, and individuals who advocate for common sense.
Definitely: Trial Bar will return to the next session with more bills and more money. But Floridians speak loudly and clearly. We stand up to meaningful reforms, stand with the governor, ready to defend our progress at every stage.
Tom Gaitens is the executive director of citizens for litigation abuse – Florida
