The Black Chronicle Newspaper – Florida Justice Reform Institute

New insurance study shows Florida tort reforms are working_BC

February 28, 2026/in The Black Chronicle Newspaper

By Black Chronicle News Service
February 28, 2026

A new report shows recent Florida tort reforms are delivering significant benefits to consumers, job creation and the state’s overall business climate.

The report by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association highlights a new economic analysis from The Perryman Group that outlines the measurable economic and fiscal gains resulting from reforms enacted in recent years.

A copy of the report, titled The Economic Benefits of Effects of Tort Reform on Property and Casualty Insurance Rates in the State of Florida, can be found here.

“Florida’s tort reforms are achieving exactly what policymakers intended – bringing balance to the civil justice system, reducing excessive costs, and strengthening the state’s economic foundation,” said Stef Zielezienski, APCIA’s executive vice president and chief legal officer. “The Perryman analysis confirms that these reforms are driving down insurance costs for consumers and businesses, encouraging insurers to return to the market, and generating billions in economic activity that benefits every corner of the state.

“As litigation systems become more balanced and predictable, families, job creators, and communities see results – from more affordable insurance to increased economic opportunity.”

The president of a Florida legal reform group agreed.

“Over the past several years, the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis have shown that smart policies can lower the cost of living on Floridians,” said William Large, president of the Florida Justice Reform Institute. “Decisive actions taken in 2022-2023 to curb legal system abuse in the auto and property insurance market is helping drive down insurance premiums, creating more stability in the market, and giving Floridians more affordable options for coverage.

“The Perryman report is further proof that by protecting Florida against wasteful civil litigation while also promoting fair and equitable legal practices, Floridians will see real savings.”

According to the study, major legislation— including SB 2-A and HB 837—has helped rebalance Florida’s civil justice system, reduce excessive litigation costs, and stabilize the state’s insurance market. These reforms already have led to substantial reductions in property and casualty insurance costs, increased private-market competition and meaningful economic gains across the state.

Among the key findings in the report:

Florida’s tort reforms have driven an average 14.5% reduction in property and casualty insurance costs compared to what would have occurred without reformLower insurance costs and improved market stability have contributed to more companies entering or returning to the Florida market, expanding choice and competition for consumers. These cost savings generate more than $4.2 billion in annual gross product and support approximately 29,370 jobs statewide, including multiplier effects.The reforms also produce substantial fiscal gains each year – $206.6 million in new state tax revenue and $155.3 million for local governments across Florida.By reducing excessive litigation, the reforms help curb unpredictability, lower insurance premiums, and improve efficiency across key industries.

“In addition, the report notes that the benefits of tort reform will continue to compound over time, further improving Florida’s legal climate, stabilizing insurance markets, and promoting long-term economic growth,” Zielezienski said. “APCIA commends Florida lawmakers for taking meaningful action to reduce excessive legal system costs while preserving the ability of legitimately harmed individuals to seek fair compensation.

“We encourage legislatures across the country to build on Florida’s example and enact reforms that deliver real savings for consumers and strengthen local economies.”

APCIA is the primary national trade association for home, auto and business insurers. It promotes and protects the viability of private competition for the benefit of consumers and insurers.

New insurance study shows Florida tort reforms are working

Fla. bill to undo ‘23 liability reform passes House panel_BC

February 4, 2026/in The Black Chronicle Newspaper

By Black Chronicle News Service
February 4, 2026

A Florida House panel last week advanced a bill that would reverse a key 2023 tort reform that provides a presumption for multifamily residential property owners against negligence liability claims when they implement specific anti-crime measures.

Current law provides owners or operators of apartment buildings or condominium projects a presumption against security liability claims when they provide crime-prevention training for employees and install equipment to reduce violent crime, such as security cameras, lighted parking areas, lighted walkways and common areas, and one-inch deadbolts. But House Bill 1423, sponsored by Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Escambia County), would remove the presumption under certain circumstances.

Under the bill, the owner or operator could lose the liability presumption when two or more serious crimes, such as murder, robbery, sexual battery or firearms offenses, are reported to the owner or operator within two years of a specific liability claim.

The measure passed the Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee Jan. 29 by a vote of 14-3, despite tort-reform supporters’ testimony against the HB 1423. Groups such as the Florida Justice Reform Institute (FJRI) and the Florida Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill, while the Florida Justice Association, which represents trial attorneys, supported the measure, arguing that it is needed to restore balance and clarity in negligent security cases.

The current law “creates a presumption that unfairly handicaps victims of violent crimes in apartments, dorms, condominiums and other multifamily residents,” Laura Youmans, the association’s legislative and government affairs director, told the subcommittee. She added that juries deciding legal actions filed by crime victims should be able to consider properties’ histories of violent crimes.

But attorney Daniel Santaniello, speaking on behalf of the FJRI, called the bill vague and overbroad, arguing that it would punish multifamily residential property owners who have invested tens of thousands of dollars on security measures in the wake of the 2023 reform.

“This bill, as amended, takes away that (liability) protection,” Santaniello told lawmakers.

The measure’s language about “reported” crime incidents is simply not workable because there are no requirements for police reports or specifics on reporting, he said.

Critics have also pointed out that the 2023 reform was put in place in the wake of spiking insurance costs facing the owners and operators due to premises liability claims, which allege unsafe conditions or seek damages as a result of third-party criminal acts on the property..

“What this Legislature did in 2023 was landmark and needed for the people of the state of Florida,” Santaniello said.

The state House of Representatives’ analysis of the bill indicates that the bill could have negative economic effects on multifamily residential property owners and their insurers.

“By narrowing the circumstances under which an owner or operator may invoke the protective liability presumption, the bill effectively increases their potential exposure to premises liability claims,” the analysis states. “As a result, insurers may view multifamily residential properties as higher-risk, which could lead to higher insurance premiums.”

William Large, the FJRI’s president, told The Florida Record in an email that HB 1423 threatens to dismantle reforms signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Previously, the governor established a ‘safe harbor’ for multifamily residential property owners, granting them a presumption against liability for third-party criminal acts if they implement specific, enumerated security measures,” Large said. “Rep. Salzman’s bill takes away that presumption if someone complained to an owner or principal operator about an unrelated crime.”

Critics of the bill have also argued that the measure could create disincentives to building needed new housing for Florida residents.

“It is a shame that this legislation is being pushed, since the governor’s reforms have done an incredible amount of good to make our apartments and condominiums safer,” Large said.

Fla. bill to undo ‘23 liability reform passes House panel

DeSantis quietly names Judge Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court

May 23, 2023/in The Black Chronicle Newspaper

May 23, 2023

Sasso DeSantis

The Florida Supreme Court’s newest justice is Meredith Sasso, a Cuban American, formerly an intermediate state appellate justice who becomes the third woman now sitting in the seven-member court.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the pick without fanfare via a press release on Tuesday, in contrast to the press conferences he’s used to announce past appointments to the state’s highest court.

When Sasso takes her seat, it will mark the first time in Florida history that three women have served on the court at the same time, according to the governor’s press office.

“I am proud to appoint Judge Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court because her fidelity to the Constitution will help preserve freedom in our state for generations to come,” DeSantis said in a written statement. “As a Cuban American woman who understands the importance of our constitutional system and the rule of law, Judge Sasso will serve our state well.”

“I am incredibly honored that Gov. Ron DeSantis is entrusting me with this position,” Sasso said. “The judiciary plays a critical and unique role in our constitutional government, and I am resolutely committed to upholding the rule of law for as long as I am privileged to serve.”

Sasso, previously chief judge of the newly created Sixth District Court of Appeal in Lakeland, replaces former Justice Rick Polston, who resigned in March to become general counsel and chief legal officer at Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-backed insurer of last resort. He left just months after winning another six-year term in the November elections.

Women on the court
In September, DeSantis placed former South Florida trial judge Renatha Francis on the court. She is a Jamaican-American whom the governor tried to seat two years earlier, only to see the court reject her for failing to meet the 10-year Florida Bar membership qualification.

The other female justice is Jamie Grosshans, whom DeSantis appointed after the failure of the first Francis appointment.

The Judicial Nominating Commission for the Supreme Court, which vets candidates for that court, on March 5 forwarded the names of six possibilities, including Sasso, to the governor. She can take her seat once the paperwork gets taken care of.

From that perch, Sasso will help decide the validity of Florida’s 15-week abortion ban. In 1989, a more moderate-to-liberal court ruled that the Florida Constitution’s Privacy Clause protected the right to choose an abortion, but now the court, bolstered by DeSantis-appointed conservatives like Sasso, has made a habit of overturning its own precedents.

The law establishing the state’s new six-week abortion ban — a de facto ban on the procedure given that most people don’t realize they are pregnant at that point — is contingent on the court reversing that precedent.

The new justice boasts solid conservative credentials, including memberships in the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, a sort of farm team for the conservative legal movement, and the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network.

Working mother
According to information Sasso filed with the screening panel, she’s a Tallahassee native, married, the mother of two. Earlier in her career, Sasso served on the Fifth DCA and as a legal aide to then-Gov. Rick Scott, handling affairs for the departments of State, Education, Management Services, and Environmental Protection. Sasso also worked in private legal practice. She graduated from UF and earned her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2008, and was a College Republican.

Earlier, Sasso worked in private legal practice.

She graduated from UF and earned her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2008. She was a College Republican. She’s been twice certified to the governor for appointment to the Supreme Court, in 2019 and 2022, although he didn’t select her. She’s been a Federalist Society member since 2011. She’s married to attorney Michael Sasso but the number and names of her children were redacted. She declared $197,272 in net income for 2022 and nearly $1.7 million in assets.

In her application papers, Sasso noted that, on her father’s side, her grandparents left Cuba in 1953. Her maternal grandfather served in the merchant marine during World War II.

“Stories like those of my grandfathers’ drive me. I am constantly mindful that the liberty we enjoy exists because of real people’s incredible sacrifices. And I am resolutely committed to fulfilling my judicial role in the manner for which it was intended: as an integral part of the structure of government created expressly to secure liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”

Reaction
William Large, president of the Florida Justice Reform Institute, which advocates for limits on lawsuits, welcomed the appointment.

“The governor’s appointment of Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court cements this promise of appointing justices with a proven record of embracing textualism, and the notion that the courts should interpret our laws, not write them,” Large said in a written statement.

“Justice Sasso is an exceptional choice for the Florida Supreme Court due to her extensive legal experience, dedication to public service, and her strong, demonstrated commitment to upholding justice and the rule of law. We further applaud Gov. DeSantis for his continuing commitment to a Court that can draw on a rich diversity of life experience.”

https://blackchronicle.com/desantis-quietly-names-judge-meredith-sasso-to-the-florida-supreme-court/

Florida Justice Reform Institute

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