Insurance Business America announced that Florida House Bill 1551 could potentially reverse tort reform efforts by awarding attorney fees, which may escalate litigation and raise insurance costs. The announcement was made on the social media platform X on March 23.
Florida House Bill 1551, introduced by State Representative Hillary Cassel, seeks to amend existing statutes to allow courts to award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party in lawsuits involving residential or commercial property insurance claims. According to the Florida Senate, this provision would mark a reversal of a key element of the 2023 tort reform, which eliminated such awards to reduce litigation volume. If passed, the bill could reintroduce fee-shifting incentives that plaintiffs’ attorneys previously used to initiate lawsuits.
According to Triple-I, Florida accounts for a disproportionately high share of the nation’s insurance litigation. In 2021, the state represented 76% of all homeowners’ insurance lawsuits in the United States, despite comprising only 9% of total homeowners’ insurance claims nationwide. This imbalance was a key driver behind Florida’s 2022 and 2023 legislative reforms aimed at curbing what insurers described as excessive litigation.
In 2024, Cassel received an “F” grade and a 53% rating from the Florida Chamber of Commerce for her legislative performance. This score indicates limited alignment with the Chamber’s pro-business and economic growth-focused policy agenda. According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, this rating suggests a potential disconnect between her voting record and the priorities of Republican and business-oriented constituencies.
Insurance Business America (IBA) is a leading industry news outlet that delivers breaking news, in-depth features, and analysis focused on the U.S. insurance market. It is part of Key Media, a global publishing company headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Asia-Pacific. IBA covers topics such as brokerage insights, regulatory developments, risk management trends, and executive leadership changes across the insurance industry.
