FreedomWorks Helps Pass Common Sense Tort Reform in Florida

Tallahassee, Florida – FreedomWorks Florida is please to have played a critical role in helping to pass SB 2006 on Thursday to help stop frivolous lawsuits in Florida. Over the last three years, FreedomWorks Florida has engaged in an active grassroots campaign to raise public awareness on the issue and reached out to legislators. Hundreds of letters and phone calls were generated by FreedomWorks members to the Statehouse and on several occasions during the campaign activists from across the state of Florida converged on Tallahassee to meet directly with lawmakers.

This tort reform will require a court to hold a person or business responsible for only the damage they actually cause. SB 2006 (HB 145) eliminated so-called “joint and several liability,” which forced a defendant to pay excess damages in a lawsuit if other defendants could not afford to pay their fair share.

This criterion for lawsuits is patently unfair, and encourages abusive trial lawyers to go after corporations, insurers and others that are said to have “deep pockets.” SB 2006 would help end this disturbing trend.

FreedomWorks Florida State Director, John Hallman commented, “the Florida Senate’s vote yesterday to eliminate Joint and Several Liability is a tremendous victory for Florida citizens and brings fairness and common sense to our courts. I commend the Florida Legislature for passing this crucial legislation and I greatly appreciate all the Florida FreedomWorks members who have made a difference by getting involved in FreedomWorks efforts over the last several years to repeal this unfair law.”