Marathon Strategies has reported that Florida’s 2023 tort reform law has led to a reduction in the number and size of nuclear verdicts, effectively dropping Florida from second to seventh place in national rankings for jury awards exceeding $10 million. This announcement was made in a report released in May 2024.
According to the report, Florida juries awarded a total of $492 million in nuclear verdicts in 2023, marking a significant decrease from previous years. Of this total, $316 million was awarded by state courts, while federal cases accounted for $175 million. This decline follows Governor Ron DeSantis’ signing of House Bill 837, which introduced major tort reform measures aimed at curbing excessive litigation.
Prior to these reforms, Florida had been a leading state for nuclear verdicts, with juries awarding $33.19 billion across 175 cases between 2009 and 2023. The largest industries affected included tobacco, trucking, real estate, and automobile manufacturers. Marathon Strategies’ analysis indicated that the legal climate in Florida contributed to the high volume of such cases, making it a focal point for large jury awards.
According to an announcement from the Office of Governor DeSantis on February 5, multiple insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive have filed for significant auto insurance rate reductions in Florida. These decreases average 4.1% statewide and are attributed to tort reform measures credited with stabilizing the market. Additionally, Citizens Property Insurance has reduced homeowner premiums by an average of 5.6%, notably benefiting 73% of policyholders in Miami-Dade County with a 6.3% drop.
Marathon Strategies is a communications and research firm specializing in litigation analysis, corporate risk assessment, and policy advocacy. The firm tracks legal trends nationwide and provides strategic insights to businesses, policymakers, and legal professionals. Its research on nuclear verdicts is widely cited for its detailed analysis of corporate litigation risks.
