A bill signed last Friday by Florida Governor Charlie Crist has the backing of the state’s insurance
regulator and many business interests, who claim it will reign in lawyer fees.
Crist signed the legislation (HB 903) that will reverse a court ruling and put back in place limits on fees for lawyers who represent workers in compensation appeals related to on-the-job injuries.
According to trial lawyers, however, the bill will be challenged at some point because it takes away an existing provision that says those fees need to be “reasonable.”
It was the reasonableness language which the Florida Supreme Court noted last year when it said no to imposing limits.
On the other side, employers claim the law will reduce the premiums they must pay for workers’ compensation insurance. The bill passed the Florida Senate by a 22-16 vote.
Up until six years ago, Florida had some of the highest rates for workers’ compensation premiums, consistently ranking No. 1 or No. 2 nationwide in workers’ compensation rates. That changed when Florida’s Legislature reigned in the fee limits, which do not apply to lawyers representing insurers and employers.
The new bill is slated to go into effect on July 1.
Author: Robert Elliott
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