‘PIP’ repeal speeds toward House floor By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida – Posted: 5:39 PM, November 07, 2017 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An attempt to end the state’s no-fault auto insurance system is on the fast track in the Florida House. As in past years, the legislation, which has been projected to save motorists […]
Florida Chamber Insurance Summit tackles industry’s hottest topic, AOB abuse PETER SCHORSCH – November 2, 2017, 2:54 pm One of the hottest topics in Florida’s insurance market today is assignment of benefits, its use — and abuse — throughout the state. Beginning Thursday in Orlando, Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Insurance Summit features industry leaders who hope […]
Florida homeowners need break from assignment-of-benefits lawsuits | Opinion By Harold Kim – November 7, 2017 Florida consumers are used to paying higher insurance premiums in the wake of devastating hurricanes. But an entirely preventable, human-driven phenomenon is now driving rates even higher: Assignment-of-benefits (AOB) claims, in which home-improvement contractors and other vendors submit […]
Takeaways from Tallahassee — When lawyers break bad PETER SCHORSCH October 21, 2017, 6:00 am A panel of U.S. district judges this week hit two Jacksonville law firms with $9.1 million in sanctions for filing “non-viable” tobacco lawsuits. “On the rare occasion when attorneys undermine that integrity and trust, there must be consequences,” their 148-page opinion […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-10-21 15:59:302025-07-31 20:49:08Takeaways from Tallahassee — When lawyers break bad
OCTOBER 19, 2017 Will Trump DOJ side with disabled plaintiffs in AD Alison Frankel (Reuters) – Businesses are not at all happy about a boom in suits by disabled consumers who claim corporate websites are insufficiently accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act. These cases have mushroomed since 2015. Disabled plaintiffs, many of them […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-10-19 15:59:482024-11-25 23:32:40Will Trump DOJ side with disabled plaintiffs in ADA website suits?
Tuesday, October 10, 2017 Claimants’ Attorney Fees Nearly Tripled in Year After Castellanos By J. Todd Foster The amount of hourly fees awarded to claimants’ attorneys nearly tripled in fiscal year 2017 over the prior year, but stakeholders warned Monday that the increase most likely is related to the hoarding of fee petitions until after […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-10-10 15:56:302025-07-31 20:52:05Claimants’ Attorney Fees Nearly Tripled in Year After Castellanos
by Michael Carroll | Sep. 18, 2017, 7:02am TALLAHASSEE — Florida insurance companies are warning property owners who sustained damage from Hurricane Irma to avoid fraud by not signing away their insurance rights to third parties. The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida (PIFF) issued a similar warning last week. NASA photo “Homeowners should … […]
By ED LEEFELDT MONEYWATCH August 16, 2017, 5:30 AM Why Florida insurers could double homeowners’ rates Last Updated Aug 16, 2017 5:40 PM EDT Florida has seen its share of calamities, but an “epidemic of insurance claims” could shove the Sunshine State down a financial sinkhole even before the next hurricane hits. Lawyers and […]
By Jeff Sistrunk Law360, Los Angeles (July 31, 2017, 9:10 PM EDT) — A Florida business group urged the state’s high court Monday to reject a challenge to an appellate panel’s decision that Geico didn’t act in bad faith by not settling claims against a policyholder later hit with an $8.7 million fatal-crash judgment, saying the […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-07-31 15:56:222025-07-31 21:09:36Biz Group Asks Fla. Justices To Ditch Geico Bad Faith Case
Friday, July 21, 2017 Attorneys Take No Issue With DWC’s Interpretation of Compounds as ‘Specialty Services’ By J. Todd Foster The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation’s decision to require preauthorization for all compounded drugs represents a fair interpretation of a state statute, attorneys on both sides said Thursday. The requirement went into effect on July […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-07-27 15:56:182025-07-31 20:45:03Attorneys Take No Issue With DWC’s Interpretation of Compounds as ‘Specialty Services’
by W.J. Kennedy | Jul. 21, 2017, 1:19pm TALLAHASSEE – The Florida medical community is still weighing its next steps following the June 8 Florida Supreme Court ruling, North Broward Hospital District v. Kalitan, that declared caps on non-economic damages (pain and suffering) unconstitutional. Options range from the futile and expensive to none. Jeff Scott, […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-07-17 15:57:242025-07-31 20:47:24Florida Medical Community has Few Options After Cap on Non-economic Damages Shot Down
Commentary: Florida Supreme Court crowns itself fact-finder and policymaker on malpractice Florida Gov. Jeb Bush pauses as he receives applause from Tampa area doctors and hospital staff members during a speech on medical malpractice in 2003. (SCOTT AUDETTE / Associated Press) By William Large – Guest Columnist July 17, 2017 On June 8, in North Broward […]
Commentary: Florida High Court Med Mal Award Cap Ruling Ignores Market History By Robert E. White, Jr. | June 28, 2017 In its recent ruling that the cap on noneconomic damages for personal injury awards or settlements in medical negligence cases was unconstitutional, the Florida Supreme Court ignored why these caps were put into […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-06-28 15:56:352024-11-26 00:05:36Commentary: Florida High Court Med Mal Award Cap Ruling Ignores Market History
by Michael Carroll | Jun. 23, 2017, 10:11am TALLAHASSEE — Some Florida counties are seeing a major spike in auto glass litigation, generating fears that auto insurance premiums may follow the trajectory of rising property insurance rates in the state. A recent study by the Florida Justice Reform Institute found an exponential rise in auto […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-06-23 15:58:242025-07-31 21:13:48Litigation Scheme Seen as Driving Auto Glass Claims in 5 Florida Counties
Reinsurers in Florida advised caution over AOB epidemic: Hiscox Re 15th June 2017 – Author: Marianne Lehnis If the Assignment of Benefits (AOB) epidemic sweeping Florida continues unchecked, insurers with weaker capitalisation could see rating downgrades or be put out of business entirely, while reinsurers’ credit risk skyrockets, Bevis Tetlow, Chair of Hiscox Re’s […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-06-15 15:58:552024-11-26 00:14:33Reinsurers in Florida advised caution over AOB epidemic: Hiscox Re
Insurance Commissioner Calls For Assignment Of Benefits Changes By NICK EVANS • JUN 15, 2017 Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier. CREDIT FLORIDA CHANNEL Florida’s insurance officials are considering moves to rein in assignments after the Legislature again failed to take action. The procedure allows service providers to work directly with an insurer, but some […]
by W.J. Kennedy | Jun. 7, 2017, 12:23pm TALLAHASSEE – Regular session for the Florida Legislature ended in early May without approval of legislation that would have squashed a new rash of insurance scams involving car windshield replacements, and help reverse a rapid increase in insurance rates stemming from these and related fraudulent activity. In […]
By Glenn Minnis | Jun 6, 2017 TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott has signed a bill passed by the Florida Senate aimed at rooting out “gotcha” public records requests that have long been a part of the state’s legal landscape. Introduced by Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota), Senate Bill 80 is designed to penalize what he calls serial records […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-06-06 15:59:182025-07-31 21:23:29Scott Signs Bill to Reduce ‘Frivolous’ Public Records Lawsuits
Professional Liability Florida Court Throws Out Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages By Mary Anne Pazanowski – June 6, 2017 Noneconomic damages are no longer limited for medical malpractice personal injury plaintiffs in Florida (N. Broward Hosp. Dist. v. Kalitan, Fla., No. SC15-1858, 6/8/17). A split Florida Supreme Court June 8 said the $500,000 per claimant cap […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-06-06 15:57:112025-07-31 20:37:47Florida Court Throws Out Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages
Auto glass lawsuits filed by a third party (through what’s known as assignment of benefits) are skyrocketing in Tampa Bay. [Times file photo] By Malena Carollo Published: May 25, 2017 Updated: May 25, 2017 at 08:57 PM When Rachel Thorpe tried to renew her auto insurance last year for her Toyta RAV4, she was stunned […]
https://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/fjri-news.jpg800800RAD Techhttps://www.fljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Florida-Justice-Reform-Institute.jpgRAD Tech2017-05-25 15:59:282025-07-31 21:26:59Tampa Bay is Ground-zero for Assignment of Benefits Cases Over Broken Auto Glass
‘PIP’ Repeal Speeds Toward House Floor
/in News4Jax‘PIP’ repeal speeds toward House floor By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida – Posted: 5:39 PM, November 07, 2017 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An attempt to end the state’s no-fault auto insurance system is on the fast track in the Florida House. As in past years, the legislation, which has been projected to save motorists […]
Florida Chamber Insurance Summit Tackles Industry’s Hottest Topic; AOB Abuse
/in Florida PoliticsFlorida Chamber Insurance Summit tackles industry’s hottest topic, AOB abuse PETER SCHORSCH – November 2, 2017, 2:54 pm One of the hottest topics in Florida’s insurance market today is assignment of benefits, its use — and abuse — throughout the state. Beginning Thursday in Orlando, Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Insurance Summit features industry leaders who hope […]
Florida Homeowners Need Break from Assignment-of-Benefits Lawsuits – Opinion
/in Sun SentinelFlorida homeowners need break from assignment-of-benefits lawsuits | Opinion By Harold Kim – November 7, 2017 Florida consumers are used to paying higher insurance premiums in the wake of devastating hurricanes. But an entirely preventable, human-driven phenomenon is now driving rates even higher: Assignment-of-benefits (AOB) claims, in which home-improvement contractors and other vendors submit […]
Takeaways from Tallahassee — When lawyers break bad
/in Florida PoliticsTakeaways from Tallahassee — When lawyers break bad PETER SCHORSCH October 21, 2017, 6:00 am A panel of U.S. district judges this week hit two Jacksonville law firms with $9.1 million in sanctions for filing “non-viable” tobacco lawsuits. “On the rare occasion when attorneys undermine that integrity and trust, there must be consequences,” their 148-page opinion […]
Will Trump DOJ side with disabled plaintiffs in ADA website suits?
/in ReutersOCTOBER 19, 2017 Will Trump DOJ side with disabled plaintiffs in AD Alison Frankel (Reuters) – Businesses are not at all happy about a boom in suits by disabled consumers who claim corporate websites are insufficiently accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act. These cases have mushroomed since 2015. Disabled plaintiffs, many of them […]
Claimants’ Attorney Fees Nearly Tripled in Year After Castellanos
/in WorkCompCentralTuesday, October 10, 2017 Claimants’ Attorney Fees Nearly Tripled in Year After Castellanos By J. Todd Foster The amount of hourly fees awarded to claimants’ attorneys nearly tripled in fiscal year 2017 over the prior year, but stakeholders warned Monday that the increase most likely is related to the hoarding of fee petitions until after […]
Florida Insurers Caution Homeowners Against Signing Assignment of Benefits
/in Florida Recordby Michael Carroll | Sep. 18, 2017, 7:02am TALLAHASSEE — Florida insurance companies are warning property owners who sustained damage from Hurricane Irma to avoid fraud by not signing away their insurance rights to third parties. The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida (PIFF) issued a similar warning last week. NASA photo “Homeowners should … […]
Why Florida insurers could double homeowners’ rates
/in CBS News MONEYWATCHBy ED LEEFELDT MONEYWATCH August 16, 2017, 5:30 AM Why Florida insurers could double homeowners’ rates Last Updated Aug 16, 2017 5:40 PM EDT Florida has seen its share of calamities, but an “epidemic of insurance claims” could shove the Sunshine State down a financial sinkhole even before the next hurricane hits. Lawyers and […]
Biz Group Asks Fla. Justices To Ditch Geico Bad Faith Case
/in Law360By Jeff Sistrunk Law360, Los Angeles (July 31, 2017, 9:10 PM EDT) — A Florida business group urged the state’s high court Monday to reject a challenge to an appellate panel’s decision that Geico didn’t act in bad faith by not settling claims against a policyholder later hit with an $8.7 million fatal-crash judgment, saying the […]
Attorneys Take No Issue With DWC’s Interpretation of Compounds as ‘Specialty Services’
/in WorkCompCentralFriday, July 21, 2017 Attorneys Take No Issue With DWC’s Interpretation of Compounds as ‘Specialty Services’ By J. Todd Foster The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation’s decision to require preauthorization for all compounded drugs represents a fair interpretation of a state statute, attorneys on both sides said Thursday. The requirement went into effect on July […]
Florida Medical Community has Few Options After Cap on Non-economic Damages Shot Down
/in Florida Recordby W.J. Kennedy | Jul. 21, 2017, 1:19pm TALLAHASSEE – The Florida medical community is still weighing its next steps following the June 8 Florida Supreme Court ruling, North Broward Hospital District v. Kalitan, that declared caps on non-economic damages (pain and suffering) unconstitutional. Options range from the futile and expensive to none. Jeff Scott, […]
Commentary: Florida Supreme Court Crowns Itself Fact-finder and Policymaker on Malpractice
/in Orlando SentinelCommentary: Florida Supreme Court crowns itself fact-finder and policymaker on malpractice Florida Gov. Jeb Bush pauses as he receives applause from Tampa area doctors and hospital staff members during a speech on medical malpractice in 2003. (SCOTT AUDETTE / Associated Press) By William Large – Guest Columnist July 17, 2017 On June 8, in North Broward […]
Commentary: Florida High Court Med Mal Award Cap Ruling Ignores Market History
/in The Insurance JournalCommentary: Florida High Court Med Mal Award Cap Ruling Ignores Market History By Robert E. White, Jr. | June 28, 2017 In its recent ruling that the cap on noneconomic damages for personal injury awards or settlements in medical negligence cases was unconstitutional, the Florida Supreme Court ignored why these caps were put into […]
Litigation Scheme Seen as Driving Auto Glass Claims in 5 Florida Counties
/in Florida Recordby Michael Carroll | Jun. 23, 2017, 10:11am TALLAHASSEE — Some Florida counties are seeing a major spike in auto glass litigation, generating fears that auto insurance premiums may follow the trajectory of rising property insurance rates in the state. A recent study by the Florida Justice Reform Institute found an exponential rise in auto […]
Reinsurers in Florida advised caution over AOB epidemic: Hiscox Re
/in Reinsurance NewsReinsurers in Florida advised caution over AOB epidemic: Hiscox Re 15th June 2017 – Author: Marianne Lehnis If the Assignment of Benefits (AOB) epidemic sweeping Florida continues unchecked, insurers with weaker capitalisation could see rating downgrades or be put out of business entirely, while reinsurers’ credit risk skyrockets, Bevis Tetlow, Chair of Hiscox Re’s […]
Insurance Commissioner Calls for Assignment of Benefits Changes
/in wfsu.orgInsurance Commissioner Calls For Assignment Of Benefits Changes By NICK EVANS • JUN 15, 2017 Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier. CREDIT FLORIDA CHANNEL Florida’s insurance officials are considering moves to rein in assignments after the Legislature again failed to take action. The procedure allows service providers to work directly with an insurer, but some […]
Consumers Paying for Florida Legislature’s Inaction on Assignment of Benefits (AOB) ‘Scams’
/in Florida Recordby W.J. Kennedy | Jun. 7, 2017, 12:23pm TALLAHASSEE – Regular session for the Florida Legislature ended in early May without approval of legislation that would have squashed a new rash of insurance scams involving car windshield replacements, and help reverse a rapid increase in insurance rates stemming from these and related fraudulent activity. In […]
Scott Signs Bill to Reduce ‘Frivolous’ Public Records Lawsuits
/in Florida RecordBy Glenn Minnis | Jun 6, 2017 TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott has signed a bill passed by the Florida Senate aimed at rooting out “gotcha” public records requests that have long been a part of the state’s legal landscape. Introduced by Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota), Senate Bill 80 is designed to penalize what he calls serial records […]
Florida Court Throws Out Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages
/in Bloomberg BNAProfessional Liability Florida Court Throws Out Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages By Mary Anne Pazanowski – June 6, 2017 Noneconomic damages are no longer limited for medical malpractice personal injury plaintiffs in Florida (N. Broward Hosp. Dist. v. Kalitan, Fla., No. SC15-1858, 6/8/17). A split Florida Supreme Court June 8 said the $500,000 per claimant cap […]
Tampa Bay is Ground-zero for Assignment of Benefits Cases Over Broken Auto Glass
/in Tampa Bay TimesAuto glass lawsuits filed by a third party (through what’s known as assignment of benefits) are skyrocketing in Tampa Bay. [Times file photo] By Malena Carollo Published: May 25, 2017 Updated: May 25, 2017 at 08:57 PM When Rachel Thorpe tried to renew her auto insurance last year for her Toyta RAV4, she was stunned […]