A major new report from the Consumer Choice Center finds Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s lawsuit abuse reforms have already succeeded in “reducing the state’s overall litigiousness, stabilizing prices, and delivering lower costs to consumers.”

In terms of lowering insurance rates, the report found:

However, thanks to the reforms of HB837, as well as a number of other insurance and legal reforms signed into law by Gov. DeSantis, there is a quantifiable reduction and stabilization of insurance premiums for the time being.

According to a 2024 S&P Global Market Intelligence survey, Florida had the lowest calculated weighted average increase in home insurance at just 1%, compared with the whopping rise of more than 20% in states like Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, and Washington.

Even though a modest rise will be expected later in the year, once claims are calculated from storm damage, this still represents a significant achievement for Florida insurance consumers. 

The report also highlighted the reduction in frivolous litigation that hurts small businesses and consumers:

Another figure of note is the reduction in the number of active civil litigation cases on the dockets of Florida courts. Though the litigation spike in March of 2023 has skewed proper quantitative analysis, there is still a measurable reduction in the number of cases brought to both county and small claims courts in Florida.

An important reform found in HB837 was the introduction of comparative negligence, properly derisking negligence standards if plaintiffs were also found to be at fault in their case. Most legal analysts have concluded that this standard alone will have a predominant effect on reducing cases brought to court.

The report concluded:

Following the trend of steady insurance rates, transparency in medical costs, reduced litigation, and new innovation and competition spurred by worthwhile reforms, Florida consumers have and will continue to benefit from a sounder justice system that will lead to cost savings over the long run.

The legislature should aim to keep these reforms in place, and provide timely quantifiable updates to citizens and consumers to measure out how they are making a difference.

The success and results of lawsuit abuse reform is undeniable. The Florida legislature should defend these important reforms, and other states should continue to explore similar legislation to benefit consumers.