Floridians for Lawsuit Reform recently announced on X that it highlighted data from Lex Machina indicating a nearly 20% increase in federal tort cases. The group pointed to a shift toward filings above $75,000 and differing trends across case types, warning of increased costs for families and businesses.
According to the advocacy group, Florida’s 2023–2024 reforms, including House Bill 837, have tightened evidence rules for medical damages, reduced one-way attorney fee incentives, and targeted abusive litigation niches. Analyses now show that litigation and claim severity are easing, with insurers re-entering the market and some premiums stabilizing or decreasing. In contrast, Texas’s attempt to advance similar measures through Senate Bill 30 stalled in June 2025. Reform advocates warn that excessive verdict exposure and billing practices continue to burden businesses and consumers there.
Post-reform metrics in Florida indicate tangible effects. Milliman reports that auto-glass lawsuits have plunged from 24,720 in the second quarter of 2023 to 2,613 in the same period of 2024—a nearly 90% drop—alongside indications that social inflation is moderating as claim frequency and severity fall. Industry observers also cite improved insurer participation and early premium relief as reforms work through the system. This reinforces the argument that targeted legal changes can quickly curtail lawsuit mills driving costs for households.
Lex Machina’s 2025 Torts Litigation Report finds a 20% increase in federal tort suits during 2023–2024 compared to 2021–2022, with filings reaching 18,112 in 2023 and 17,320 in 2024 versus 14,045 in 2022. Motor-vehicle and premises cases led this rise. The shift toward federal court as claims exceed the $75,000 threshold raises defense costs and payout risk—pressures that affect consumers via premiums—bolstering arguments that states like Texas should modernize rules to deter forum-shopping and inflated billing.
Floridians for Lawsuit Reform is a nonprofit advocacy group formed to advance lawsuit reform aimed at curbing abuse, lowering costs for families, and encouraging competitive insurance markets. Launched publicly in 2020 and based in Tallahassee, it educates voters and policymakers while mobilizing grassroots support. The group promotes policy solutions such as aligning recoverable medical expenses with amounts actually paid and curbing fee-shifting incentives. It positions Florida as a model for balanced civil justice while urging similar reforms in states like Texas where efforts such as SB 30 have not yet been enacted.
