THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IS DESTROYING YOUR RIGHTS 

What Is Happening:

The Florida House and Senate is trying to protect insurance companies for the third straight special session. They are asking how to help insurance companies not how to help homeowners! This proposed law may even affect your recent Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole claims that have caused so much damage and destruction throughout the State of Florida.  

The Florida Legislator will start another special session on December 12, 2022, regarding Homeowners Insurance. The last two special sessions have seen laws passed that only benefit the insurance companies.  The insurance lobbyists are able to get their paid-for politicians to draft and submit these laws with little to no change. Every single special session, the legislator claims these laws will lower premiums and solve the issues. To date they have failed to do so. Instead, premiums have only increased, and insurance is becoming harder and harder to obtain!

This Special Session Bill has been released and it will drive the final nail through the coffin for Florida Homeowners. As many of you know, when you hire an attorney to represent you in your homeowner claim (like you did with us), and if your case goes to lawsuit, the insurance company has to pay your attorney’s fees. This is a way to hold insurance companies accountable and protect consumers who otherwise could not afford an attorney. The proposed bill that the senate and house will be voting on next week will get rid of this law and require homeowners to pay a percentage of their claim to their attorneys. This will require homeowners to have to pay more out of pocket to fix their homes.

Why Is This Bad?

As an attorney who practices not only in Florida, but in states like New York where they don’t have laws to protect homeowners, insurance companies can run-over policyholders who have small claims. Small claims range from claims ranging anywhere from zero to $50,000.00. As a result, thousands of policyholders won’t be able to obtain lawyers and will be stuck paying for a policy that they can never enforce. Even if a homeowner can find a lawyer, the policyholder will have to pay more money out of pocket to fix their home if this law is passed. This makes no sense and is completely unfair as we all pay so much out of pocket for premiums as it is. And, as many of you have stated, premiums have only gone up, and by large amounts.

These politicians are trying to New York your Florida. I have seen first-hand the devastating effect of removing all accountability for an insurance company. They are in the business to collect premiums and not pay claims.

Why Is The Legislator Doing This?

For years you have been hearing a false narrative: “Attorneys, public adjusters, roofers and contractors are the problem.” This is a narrative paid for by the insurance companies. CFO Jimmy Patronis was given a combined $190,000.00 by Heritage and Slide Insurance companies for his last campaign. He has yet to hold any insurance companies responsible. The truth is Attorneys, public adjusters, roofers, and contractors protect homeowners as many of you have seen first-hand.