By Amber Jo Cooper
Published Mar. 6, 2025, 4:08 p.m. ET | Updated Mar. 6, 2025

(Official photo)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – President of Florida Justice Reform Institute William Large voiced opposition to efforts to reform Florida’s medical malpractice laws, suggesting that doing so would significantly raise the costs of medical services.

SB 734 expands the application of the Florida Wrongful Death Act by “repealing exceptions that prohibit certain parents and children of a deceased patient who dies due to medical negligence
from recovering noneconomic damages,” the bill’s analysis said.

Speaking on Florida’s Voice Radio with Drew Steele, Large said if the bill passes, he predicts a rise in medical malpractice lawsuits, particularly affecting elderly patients and their adult children, which could lead to an additional 500 cases annually.

WATCH: President of Florida Justice Reform Institute voices opposition to efforts at reforming Florida’s medical malpractice laws, suggesting that doing so would significantly raise the costs of medical services pic.twitter.com/Z6rQJJ41Ci

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) March 6, 2025
Large, an attorney, is an advocate for legal reform and previously led former Gov. Jeb Bush’s “fight to reform medical malpractice rules to cap damage awards,” according to the FJRI website.

Senate Rules Chair Kathleen Passidomo and Sen. Tom Leek were the only two who opposed the measure during a committee stop Wednesday, and the House bill’s Wednesday committee stop received full support.

“If our goal is to raise the standard of care in our state, we should hold the wrongdoers accountable,” Passidomo said. “I will not be able to support this bill today because it does not hold bad medical personnel accountable.”

The bill has two committee stops to go in the Senate and one committee stop in the House before they could reach a full vote by the legislature.

https://flvoicenews.com/florida-justice-reform-institute-president-voices-opposition-to-medical-malpractice-bill/