Michael Carroll News
Florida budget bill would withhold funding from districts that defied mask mandate ban
A budget bill passed last week by the Florida House of Representatives would strip $200 million from 12 school districts that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on COVID-19 mask mandates in public schools.
Florida litigated property insurance claims jump 37% in January, raising industry concerns
After fluctuating up and down slightly in recent months, the number of litigated property insurance claims in Florida shot up 37% in January, the first significant jump since a high of 6,663 litigated claims in July 2021, new data shows.
Data privacy bill could unleash new wave of civil litigation, Florida chamber warns
Florida businesses are sounding alarm bells about a data privacy bill that passed the Florida House’s Commerce Committee last week, arguing that its passage would worsen the state’s legal climate and saddle companies with burdensome compliance costs.
Florida appeals court takes up Department of Health's bid to limit access to COVID-19 data
A Florida appeals court is taking up a bid by the state Department of Health to block the release of daily COVID-19 data, including information about county cases, positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths.
Florida ends litigation over federal cruise industry policies as CDC allows order to expire
Florida’s attorney general has declared victory in its legal efforts to overturn the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s conditional sailing order (CSO), which sought to regulate the cruise industry in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Extension of COVID-19 liability protections for health care professionals goes to governor
Florida health care providers would continue to receive legal liability protections against COVID-19-related lawsuits well into 2023 under legislation that just passed the state legislature.
State Supreme Court declines to provide DeSantis with advisory opinion on redistricting
The Florida Supreme Court last week rebuffed Gov. Ron DeSantis on a redistricting question, declining to respond to a request for an advisory decision on whether the state constitution requires the retention of a Democrat-leaning congressional district.
Florida lawmakers resurrect effort to change rules on publication of legal notices
A Florida House panel is moving to revisit rules on how local governments can post legal notices and advertisements so that such public information would no longer be required to be published in local newspapers.
Environmental groups turn to courts to protect Florida manatees from starvation
Environmentalists are now turning to the federal courts to protect the marine habitat of Florida’s manatee population, which suffered a record number of deaths last year due to mass starvation.
Hopes starting to fade for significant civil justice reforms passing Florida legislature this year
Supporters of civil litigation reform in Florida say they are less bullish that the state legislature will produce substantial reforms during the 2022 legislative session, which will hit its midpoint this week.
Bill to reduce lawsuits over construction defects advances in Florida Senate
A bill aimed at reducing the number of construction-defect lawsuits filed by homeowners is advancing in the Florida Senate even as critics say the bill goes too far in restricting the limitations period on filing such litigation.
Florida sports betting initiative sidelined after failing to generate enough signatures
An effort to place a statewide initiative to legalize sports betting and event wagers on this year’s ballot folded in January after initiative backers acknowledged they lacked the needed signatures to get the measure before voters.
Two Army vets each win $55 million awards in latest 3M military earplugs trial
Two former servicemen won a collective $110 million in jury damages awards last week in the latest bellwether trial over allegations that 3M Co. Combat Arms Earplugs were defective and led to hearing loss.
Interior secretary to appeal federal judge's ruling invalidating Florida gaming compact
The federal government will appeal a November court decision in the District of Columbia that overturned a 2021 Seminole Tribe compact authorizing online sports betting in Florida, according to court documents.
Florida House bill could force local agencies to spend more to resolve tort claims
A bill that increases by fivefold the amount of damages a party can collect in litigation against local governments could force local agencies to pay out more of their funds to deal with tort claims, according to the bill’s opponents.
Federal judge bars UF administrators from enforcing expert witness policy
A federal judge last week barred University of Florida administrators from enforcing a policy that six of its professors argued unconstitutionally limited their ability to testify against state actions as expert witnesses.
Home-hardening program aims to benefit Florida consumers, insurers
Florida officials are hoping to roll out a program to encourage residents to retrofit their homes against future hurricane damage in a bid to reduce property insurance claims and the litigation that often accompanies such claims.
Florida compensates homeowners whose citrus trees were destroyed by state agency
Thousands of Orange County residents will begin receiving checks in the mail as a result of a $43.9 million legal settlement that compensates them for the destruction of their healthy citrus trees more than a decade ago.
Judge opts to send parish's coastal erosion lawsuit back to state court
The Parish of Plaquemines’ coastal erosion lawsuit against Louisiana energy companies may be headed back to state court after a federal judge ruled that defendants failed to show the case merits federal jurisdiction.
Florida Supreme Court's rule change expected to reduce punitive damages claims
A rule change approved by the Florida Supreme Court earlier this month could potentially reduce how often claims for punitive damages are awarded in civil court decisions, according to legal experts.