March 12, 2014

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) today commended the House Civil Justice Subcommittee for advancing legal reform legislation – House Bill 187, by Representative Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples), relating to civil remedies against insurers.

“AIF supports this good piece of legislation by Representative Passidomo aimed at making our state’s legal climate a friendlier place to do business,” said AIF President & CEO Tom Feeney.  “We believe any legal reform that decreases the cost of litigation and removes unfair and unpredictable barriers to growth are necessary to cultivate a healthy and prosperous arena for commerce to thrive.”

HB 187 establishes a 60-day timeframe during which an insurer may investigate and, if warranted, tender policy limits to settle a liability.  Feeney commented, “An unbalanced civil justice system in Florida dampens the ability of employers to recover from the economic downturn and create new jobs.  AIF supports HB 187 that will give businesses and insurers reasonable time to settle a liability claim without litigation.” 

“We applaud the House Civil Justice Subcommittee for passing this important legal reform bill and look forward to the continued discussion on how Florida can have a clear and level playing field in the courtroom.” 

HB 187 is now slated to advance to the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee.

For more information on AIF, please visit AIF.com and follow @VoiceofFLBiz.