Recently, Governor Ron Desantis enacted significant tort reform in Florida (HB 837), which includes a change to the statute of limitations for those looking to bring personal injury claims. This will likely have a significant impact on the personal injury landscape. Please continue reading and reach out to a seasoned Jacksonville personal injury lawyer from Ansbacher Law to learn more about the change and what it may mean for you. Here are some of the questions you may have:
How has the statute of limitations changed in Florida?
Most notably, the bill reduces the statute of limitations for personal injury claims from four years to two, meaning as of now, you will only have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury claim. This significantly reduces the amount of time victims of negligence will have to pursue their rightful compensation, so it’s paramount now, more than ever, that anyone harmed as a result of negligence takes action sooner, rather than later.
What else is in the bill?
The bill addresses a wide range of additional provisions pertaining to personal injury law, however, perhaps the most significant is that it also changes Florida’s comparative negligence system. Prior to the bill, Florida observed what is known as “pure” comparative negligence, meaning a person can sue for damages even if they are considered to be more than 50% responsible for a given accident.
Now that Florida observes what’s known as “modified” comparative negligence, anyone deemed more than 50% responsible for an accident or injury may no longer file a personal injury claim. Notably, this change does not apply to medical negligence cases.
If you would like to learn more about this bill or are wondering how it may impact your case, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Ansbacher Law. We are a staunch legal advocate for victims of negligence here in Jacksonville and throughout the state of Florida, and we are prepared to do everything in our power to get you the justice you deserve.
Contact us today so we can get started working on your case.
