Brewster Bevis, CEO of the Associated Industries of Florida, has said that recent tort reforms have brought fairness and reduced insurance rates. However, he warns that trial lawyers are now attempting to reverse these gains, which could ultimately harm Florida families. Bevis shared this perspective in an op-ed.
"Thanks to the ethical and commonsense leadership of the Legislature and Governor back in 2022 and 2023, reforms brought long-overdue balance to the scales that favored litigation over fairness. For the first time in memory, we're actually seeing both property insurance and auto insurance rates decrease," said Bevis, President and CEO. "But now we're seeing a coordinated push to unwind the reforms that got the ball rolling on insurance rate decreases. The true motivation behind this legislation is clear: to hand property and first-party insurance lawyers the tools to exploit the system once again, at the expense of Florida families. This is a coordinated effort by the trial bar to tilt the system back in its favor, all under the guise of consumer protection."
In the op-ed, Bevis expressed concerns over efforts in the Florida Legislature to roll back tort reforms that had started to lower insurance rates and curb abusive litigation practices. He noted that before reforms passed in 2022 and 2023, Florida faced frivolous lawsuits, inflated damage claims, and a legal culture dominated by billboard trial attorneys — factors that increased costs for consumers. Bevis argued that proposals like HB 947 and HB 1181 were attempts by personal injury lawyers to regain access to inflated profits by reopening litigation loopholes. He warned these changes would reverse consumer savings, increase premiums, and restore Florida’s reputation as a "Judicial Hellhole." Ultimately, he said the proposed legislation would benefit only trial lawyers.
Florida State Representatives Hillary Cassel and Paula Stark are advancing HB 1551, a bill establishing a "loser pays" standard for attorney’s fees in insurance lawsuits. This is aimed at leveling the playing field for policyholders. The bill passed the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee with a 15-1 vote; Rep. Mike Caruso was the sole dissenter. Caruso argued that the bill could lead to higher costs for consumers rather than reducing premiums. He cited Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent announcement that Florida's previous insurance reforms had stabilized the market and attracted insurers. The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce also expressed concerns, stating that HB 1551 could reignite excessive litigation and drive up premiums.
The Insurance Information Institute released a report highlighting stabilization in Florida’s property and casualty insurance market due to recent legislative reforms aimed at reducing legal system abuse and fraudulent claims. The report notes a decrease in litigation related to claims, stabilization of homeowners' insurance premiums, and over 40% of insurers seeking rate reductions in 2024. The state has seen new insurers entering the market while Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Florida’s insurer of last resort, has reduced its policy count by nearly 40%, decreasing taxpayer risk. Additionally, reforms have positively impacted the auto insurance market with a significant reduction in auto lawsuits following the ban on assignment of benefits. However, proposed legislation for 2025 to reinstate one-way attorney fees could potentially reverse these gains.
In a January 8 press release, Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky highlighted achievements by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR). Yaworsky said: "Thanks to reforms championed by Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida’s insurance industry is improving." The OIR made progress in stabilizing the property insurance market and strengthening the state's health insurance sector. Reforms focused on protecting consumers and improving market conditions have delivered tangible results. The agency has also worked to ensure greater industry accountability and resilience against future challenges.
Brewster B. Bevis is President and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), holding this position since 2022 after over a decade within the organization. Before his tenure at AIF, Bevis served in senior legislative roles at Associated Builders and Contractors’ national office and worked in Congress as well as during the Bush administration.