Florida Lawmakers – Vote NO on SB 54!
The Bill
SB 54 would eliminate Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system and replace it with a mandatory bodily injury coverage system. If passed, this legislation could increase costs for Florida consumers and businesses at the worst possible time. It could also lead to increased litigation and potentially result in more uninsured drivers on Florida roads.
Raising Costs for Floridians
The goal of any legislation of this nature should be to lower costs for consumers. Because SB 54 fails to address much-needed reforms in Florida’s bad faith laws, auto insurance costs could skyrocket by as much as $455 for the average policyholder annually. Some drivers who carry the lowest coverages could see increases as high as $860. By raising costs for drivers, this legislation could also lead to more uninsured drivers on Florida roads. Our state already has the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rate of uninsured motorists in the country at approximately 27 percent. Do we really want to see those numbers increase?
Florida’s Legal System
Our state’s legal system is rife with rampant lawsuit abuse, excessive attorney fees, and skyrocketing settlements, which has resulted in one of the worst legal environments in the country. Repealing Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system, without real legal reforms and tools to fight fraud, will fail to deliver meaningful savings for Florida drivers and exacerbate our state’s lawsuit problems. Additionally, our state’s court system is experiencing a backlog of more than one million cases due to the pandemic, according to recent reports. This is not the time to send more auto insurance claims to court by repealing the no-fault auto insurance system.
Given the financial burdens consumers and businesses have had to face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, now is not the time to push major policy changes that could increase costs for Floridians. Vote NO on this misguided legislation and protect your constituents!