By BRANDON LARRABEE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA February 21, 2017 – 10:00pm Legislation that would limit Florida appellate judges to two consecutive terms in office was sent to the House floor Tuesday, as prominent senators have begun voicing concerns about the proposal. The House Judiciary Committee voted 11-8 on a nearly party-line vote to approve […]
Fight against insurance claims abuses takes aim at attorneys fees A Fort Lauderdale homeowner inspects damage from flooding. Increasing water damage claims are the focus of new bills filed before the Florida Legislature meets beginning March 7, 2017. (Susan Stocker […]
‘Now is the time to admit that PIP can’t be fixed,’ FJRI president says Dee Thompson Feb. 17, 2017, 6:57pm TALLAHASSEE – Florida law regarding PIP (Personal Injury Protection) payments is evolving as the Supreme Court seeks to clarify what is considered “reasonable” when it comes to medical expenses. PIP coverage is meant to […]
Supreme Court rejects evidence standard supported by Rick Scott, lawmakers JIM ROSICA February 16, 2017, 12:36 pm In yet another rejection of a policy backed by conservative lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida Supreme Court Thursday “declined” to change the state’s expert evidence rule to one used by federal courts and most states. “We decline to adopt […]
Justices go against Legislature on expert witnesses Pointing to “grave constitutional concerns,” the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a controversial 2013 move by lawmakers to tighten a standard for expert witnesses in legal cases. By Jim Saunders The News Service of Florida Posted Feb 16, 2017 at 8:46 PM TALLAHASSEE — Pointing to “grave constitutional concerns,” the Florida […]
Business community opposition mounts to ‘prejudgement interest’ bill pending in Florida Senate Florida Business Daily Reports | Feb 16, 2017 Business community opposition is mounting to legislation being considered in Tallahassee that would require Florida courts to include prejudgement interest in any final lawsuit award. Currently, in personal injury cases in Florida, a jury […]
JUSTICES GO AGAINST LEGISLATURE ON EXPERT WITNESSES By JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, February 16, 2017……… Pointing to “grave constitutional concerns,” the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a controversial 2013 move by lawmakers to tighten a standard for expert witnesses in legal cases. The 4-2 ruling blocked the use […]
Listen to opponents of term limits for judges: Where We Stand February 15, 2017 Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran recently wrote in a guest column for the Sentinel that it wasn’t surprising that judges weren’t “fans” of his proposal to impose term limits on the state’s Supreme Court and appellate courts. But last week, before his proposal […]
Drive for assignment of benefits reform picks up steam MICHAEL MOLINE Feb 15, 2017, 7:10 pm The prospect that a national rating firm might downgrade Florida insurance companies because of rising costs linked to assignment of benefits agreements has lit a fire under advocates of reforming those contracts. “This issue is having a real […]
by Russell Boniface | Feb. 13, 2017, 2:12pm TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Justice Reform Institute is advocating changes to curb what it calls abuses of assignment of benefits (AOB), as well as one-way attorney’s fees for insurance claims awarded to service providers and their attorneys. Florida’s one-way attorney fee is designed to reimburse policyholders for […]