Michael Carroll News
Bill to abolish state's Constitution Revision Commission passes Florida Senate
A public policy institute is pushing back against legislation to abolish the state’s Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) even as the proposal passed the state Senate on a lopsided 27-12 vote last week.
Google to fight antitrust allegations brought by Florida and other states
Florida has joined an amended multi-state lawsuit charging Google with monopolistic behavior, deceptive online ad practices and consumer privacy violations – charges the tech giant says are baseless.
Frivolous lawsuit concerns being heard as Florida consumer privacy bill advances
A consumer privacy bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis described as a check on “Big Tech” is undergoing changes to make its private litigation provisions less objectionable to business interests, according to the sponsor’s legislative assistant.
COVID-19 legal liability protections bill easily passes Florida legislature
A bill to protect Florida businesses, houses of worship, government agencies and health care providers from frivolous COVID-19-related lawsuits became the first measure of the 2021 legislative session to be sent to the governor.
Southern Florida city files opioid class action against consulting firm
The Fort Lauderdale suburb of Pembroke Pines has filed a class-action lawsuit against a global consulting firm that allegedly developed a marketing strategy with Purdue Pharma that tripled opioid sales and caused a cascade of health problems, social pathologies and deaths.
Property insurance reform bill that clamps down on litigation costs sent to Senate floor
In the wake of companies winning approval for double-digit increases in property insurance rates, a Florida Senate panel this week sent an insurance reform bill to the Senate floor on a 12-5 vote.
Bill protecting farmers from nuisance lawsuits clears Florida Senate
A bill that updates the Florida Right to Farm Act and its restrictions on the filing of nuisance lawsuits against farmers easily passed the state Senate earlier this month on a bipartisan vote.
Appeals court hears arguments in South Florida property insurance dispute
Oral arguments in a closely watched property insurance case concluded last month, with the plaintiffs’ attorney arguing that People’s Trust Insurance Co. failed to provide adequate compensation for water damage to a Coral Springs home.
Florida privacy rights bill advances amid concerns about added business burdens
A bill to better protect consumers’ privacy rights has won unanimous approval from a Florida House subcommittee, but business groups worry that the measure would lead to a deluge of class-action lawsuits.
Florida developers urge federal court to back transfer of wetlands permitting to state agency
Florida business groups are moving to intervene in a lawsuit filed by environmental organizations that aims to stop the transfer of wetlands permitting authority from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to state officials.
COVID-19 lawsuits against health providers brewing as liability bill advances
As a bill to shield health care workers and facilities from COVID-19 legal liability advances in the Senate, supporters warn that plaintiffs’ attorneys are getting such lawsuits in the pipeline quickly to evade the bill’s protections.
Bill to shield Florida farmers from nuisance suits advances in state Senate
A bill to better protect Florida farmers from nuisance lawsuits filed by neighbors sailed through the Senate Rules Committee March 4 on a 14-2 vote, setting up a vote on the Senate floor.
Families of 2019 Pensacola shooting victims sue Saudi Arabia
The families of service members killed and injured by a Saudi Arabian officer who opened fire at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in 2019 are suing the Kingdom for economic damages such as medical expenses, funeral costs, lost income and other harm.
National group backs southern Florida restaurant's COVID-19 property-loss claim
A National Restaurant Association affiliate has sided with a southern Florida restaurant in its closely watched federal lawsuit calling on insurers to honor business-interruption policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Florida appeals court sides with charter schools in funding dispute
A divided state appeals court has embraced the arguments of two Palm Beach County charter schools that challenged a 2018 voter referendum which provided additional tax funding for only traditional public schools.
Florida Supreme Court likely to decide 'vertical integration' of state's medical marijuana industry
Litigation over the structure of Florida’s medical marijuana industry could reach a finale this year when the state Supreme Court rules on whether a requirement that licensees be “vertically integrated” is constitutional.
Trucking association pushes Florida to turn corner on litigation reforms
The Florida Trucking Association’s efforts to reshape the state’s civil litigation climate during this year’s legislative session have shifted into high gear in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling changing the summary judgment standard.
Tort-reform advocates point to wave of Florida TV ads soliciting coronavirus lawsuits
A study showing that Florida TV ad markets were inundated last year with legal services spots mentioning COVID-19 or the coronavirus has buoyed the hopes of tort-reform supporters pushing the state legislature to pass legal liability protections.
Florida property insurance industry in tenuous financial state, despite AOB reform
Restrictions on assignment-of-benefits (AOB) property insurance claims signed into law in 2019 have failed to control lawsuits blamed for pushing up insurance premium costs in Florida, according to a nonprofit insurance consumers group.
Florida COVID-19 lawsuit protection bills differ on details
House and Senate bills to provide COVID-19 legal liability protections to Florida health-care providers and facilities contain a number of sticking points, but one attorney tracking the legislation expects lawmakers to iron out their differences soon.