EDITORIAL: Legislature went too far to help insurers
OUR POSITION:
By now the
Everyone saw this coming.
On the other side of the issue is trial lawyers who say if the Legislature passes laws like House Bill 837 and Senate Bill 236 it will put a chill on legitimate claims and lawsuits, and especially force hardships on low or fixed-income Floridians.
Unfortunately, no one is fighting for us. Victims of Hurricane Ian who are still waiting for insurance checks, are left blowing in the wind with no powerful lobby to represent them in
Lawmakers were expected to approve bills by Friday making it more difficult to sue insurance companies to collect claims. The legislation is lauded as a life raft for struggling insurers who are being forced to leave the state because of a flood of lawsuits — some of them bogus — and hundreds of thousands of claims from 2022 hurricanes.
We certainly see insurers' dilemma. We've written in the past about the number of homeowners who, with the help of shady roofing contractors and lawyers, took advantage of the law to get new roofs — which much too often were not needed. And there are other instances of insurance companies electing to pay claims instead of going to court because of the cost involved in resolving a suit.
We fear, however, that lawmakers have gone too far trying to help insurers and entice other insurance companies to come to
Under the new laws, as we understand them, if you file a lawsuit to recover damages that are not being paid, you're responsible for lawyer fees — which could eat up a good portion of any money recovered. There are also limitations on attorney fees and a reduction on the statute of limitations for filing negligence claims from four to two years.
All of this will make it more difficult for local people like those profiled on today's front page story in
We found it almost comical that even former President
Margie and
She and her 73-year-old husband have retained an attorney.
In today's front page article,
His summation is accurate enough. How much that will help in the long run to lure more insurers here and lower premiums won't be known for years.
Meanwhile, too many people are waiting to have a new roof put on, drywall replaced, windows and doors put back on.
Broken system: Florida’s insurance mess front and center 6 months after Hurricane Ian
LETTER: Insurance company won't pay and we're stuck
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