TALLAHASSEE (March 17, 2023) — NFIB State Executive Director Bill Herrle today thanked the Florida House for moving so quickly to pass long-needed lawsuit abuse reforms. House Bill 837 passed the House today by a vote of 80-31.
“This is something small businesses have clamored for,” Herrle said. “House Bill 837 won’t stop anyone from going to court. If you’ve been hurt, you have a constitutional right to seek redress, but HB 837 brings the scales of justice back into balance after being weighted in favor of plaintiffs’ attorneys for so many years.
“People tend to lump all businesses together, but small businesses aren’t the same as big corporations. Small businesses can’t afford and don’t have big legal departments to handle every frivolous claim that comes up. The cost of defending itself against just one nuisance lawsuit can break a small business, even if the case is eventually thrown out of court.
“On behalf of our members, I want to thank House Speaker Paul Renner and bill sponsors Rep. Tommy Gregory and Rep. Tom Fabricio for standing up for Florida’s small businesses, and we hope Governor DeSantis moves quickly to sign HB 837 into law.”
Tort reform was NFIB’s No. 1 priority during this legislative session. Earlier this month, NFIB launched a radio and digital ad campaign urging Floridians to contact their legislators and encourage them to support legislation to stop lawsuit abuse.
