2 Yrs Since DuhSantis "Reformed" Property Insurance; Premiums Continue To Rise, Lawsuits Proceed With Little/No Change

In March 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law meant to curb “frivolous lawsuits” that he said were raising insurance rates for consumers while enriching predatory lawyers and scaring off insurance carriers. But a new analysis suggests the law — which has served as a model for other states — may have benefited insurance companies more than it has protected consumers. The number of lawsuits filed by policyholders whose insurance claims had been denied stayed high, topping all other states, according to data obtained by The Washington Post. Meanwhile, Floridians have continued to pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country. While Florida insurance officials say that rates have dropped, reporting by the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets on state data shows that people are still seeing rate hikes, though the jumps were lower than in some previous years. Some residents also told The Post they’d seen their insurance costs increase since 2022.

In 2024, nearly 13 percent of Florida homeowners whose claims were denied sued their insurance company, compared with 12.4 percent in 2022, according to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners compiled by Weiss Ratings, an independent insurance ratings company. Martin Weiss, an economist and founder of Weiss Ratings, and other experts said the continuous flow of claims is not a reflection of frivolous lawsuits but a pushback on insurers that have closed a record amount of claims while scaling back coverage.

Also in 2024 — a year in which three major storms hit the region — insurance companies denied more claims in Florida than they had in previous years and closed out 47 percent of damage claims without payment, the highest share in nearly 10 years, the data shows. Throughout the country, academic studies have documented how insurance companies have sought to pass the costs and risks of home insurance onto customers, as extreme weather fueled by climate change has increased those costs and risks.

The Florida law may have further emboldened insurance companies to be aggressive with low payments or claim denials, since they believed they would be less likely to be taken to court, according to consumer advocates, tort reform experts, Florida justice groups and attorneys who spoke with The Post. “After disaster strikes, people can be desperate to get the money they need to rebuild, [and] in the past insurance companies have used that as a way to have lowball offers accepted,” said Anders Croy, a spokesman for Florida Watch, a progressive advocacy group for the state’s residents. “Now, companies are just trying to close those legitimate claims without paying a cent, which is leading people to contact an attorney to get what they are owed.”

EDIT

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/09/05/florida-insurance-law-climate-change/