The Florida Legislature Wants to Help Insurance Companies, Not People

The legislature is at it again. Some legislators are reacting to a request from Governor DeSantis to remove any teeth from the laws which protect insurance policy holders from the insurance companies from denying claims willy nilly. Who is that? You and me. Everyone, almost. They want to throw out the baby with the bathwater. That is, they want to remove all of the teeth from the laws.

This is great for insurance company profits. This is great for the politicians including DeSantis for getting contributions from the insurance companies. But these proposed changes will be devastating for the insurance policyholders of Florida.

Who gets the screws? You and I do.

The Miami Herald today wrote about this.  Here is some of what the article said:

But there is little evidence that auto, life and health insurance companies have been suffering. The industry is highly profitable. Last year, insurance companies, executives and their agents contributed more than $7 million to legislators, DeSantis and business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Trial lawyers have come out strongly against the legislation, naturally. So have a variety of others, including bikers, doctors and accident victims, who have packed committee rooms in the Capitol.

The issue has also split small businesses and key GOP lawmakers. Two Republican senators balked at the proposals last week, saying they went too far.

Lawmakers also question whether limiting lawsuits will actually reduce insurance rates. They point to the fact that homeowners’ rates continue to rise, despite making it much harder to sue them.

“Did my rates go down?” Rep. Mike Beltran, R-Riverview, said last week. “No, my rates did not go down.”

Lawmakers are fast-tracking two bills that would reshape the legal environment.

House Bill 837, one of the priorities of House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate Bill 236 are still being amended, but they already have the support of DeSantis and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples.

All of us at Hickey Law Firm urge you to CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. Tell them you DO NOT SUPPORT these bills that put insurance companies ahead of the people they serve.

And if you ever need help fighting back against the insurance companies after you’ve been injured, call Hickey Law Firm. We fight for YOU, the seriously injured person – NEVER the insurance companies. We’re based in Miami but represent injury victims all over Florida, and cruise ship injury victims from across the country. Call or contact us today to schedule a free consultation.