What happened: In 2023, Florida enacted a series of reforms targeting runaway attorney fees and the exploitative claims practices turning courtrooms into casinos. Now, the Sunshine State is reaping the benefits. 

By the numbers: Florida’s five largest auto insurers, which collectively cover nearly 80% of the market, are cutting premiums by an average of 6.5% this year. Before these reforms, premiums had been skyrocketing by up to 30% in a single year.

Worth noting: Reforming an out-of-control legal environment is not just about insurance or the “tort tax” that is baked into virtually every good and service Americans buy. Predatory litigation not only primes the court system to reward volume lawsuits, but it also threatens the spaces where communities live and play.

• One Pennsylvania town closed all of its playgrounds last year because of its insurance company’s fear of potential lawsuits. Other cities are following suit—shutting down sledding hills on public property and closing public pools because the cost of defending a single lawsuit could sink a city budget.

TLR Thoughts: Florida’s tangible success in the tort reform space proves that there is a way to stop the madness. Clamping down on predatory legal practices is vital to keeping courts fair and helping ensure that resources go to city infrastructure and families—not trial lawyers’ pockets.

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