NFIB State Director Leah Long says small business owners are already urging their legislators to address rising insurance costs by passing critical legal reforms in this year’s session of the Legislature.

“Louisiana’s small business owners are struggling with skyrocketing insurance costs, and stopping lawsuit abuse is essential to fixing the problem,” Long said. “This year’s legislative session begins on April 14, but small businesses already are reaching out to tell their legislators these commonsense reforms are needed to stabilize the insurance market, reduce costs, and ensure we have a legal system that treats everyone fairly.”

NFIB supports legislation that would:

• Ensure medical damages in personal injury cases are placed in a trust and used as intended, preventing excess costs from driving up insurance rates.
• Establish a $750,000 cap on non-economic damages such as pain and suffering to provide more predictability in insurance claims.
• Prevent individuals who are 50% or more at fault from recovering damages, reducing frivolous claims that inflate insurance premiums.
• Allow courts to consider both billed and paid medical costs in claims, preventing excessive awards contributing to rising insurance expenses.
• Require personal injury attorneys to notify defendants and their insurers within 10 days of taking a case, reducing litigation delays and uncertainty.

“Lawsuit abuse drives up insurance costs and takes money away from business growth, hiring, and community support,” Long said. “Passing these bills would ensure fairness and provide Main Street businesses with the certainty they need to focus on serving their customers and strengthening Louisiana’s economy.”