Consumer advocacy group and think tank Consumer Choice Center says the benefits of 2023’s major tort law rewrite have started reaching everyday Floridians.

A policy primer published by the organization says HB 837 — a marquee bill of the 2023 Session — has proved “worthwhile,” citing “steady insurance rates, transparency in medical costs at trial, reduced litigation, and spurred innovation and competition.”

The legislation, backed by insurers and the business lobby, made sweeping changes to laws governing how lawsuits are filed and litigated in Florida. Backers long pointed to litigation costs as the primary driver for rising insurance premiums. Before the legislation was enacted, the Florida Chamber of Commerce said Floridians were paying a $5,000-per-year “tort tax,” by way of higher prices and premiums.

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