Florida ranks 46th in liability systems in Lawsuit Climate Survey

TALLAHASSEE -- The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform's 2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey ranks Florida only 46th in the nation in state liability systems.

The state received an average score of 62.3 out of 100, just barely ahead of Missouri, which scored 61.9 points.

Florida Justice Reform Institute President William Large offered suggestions for improvement. 

“I think the survey is sound,” Large told The Florida Record. “The Institute for Legal Reform surveyed over 1,300 general counsels and legal professionals. The state needs to continue to pass tort reform measures to improve its rankings.”

Florida was also placed among the bottom five states in overall treatment of tort and contract litigation, treatment of class action and mass actions, damages, proportional discovery, trial judges’ impartiality and competence and fairness of juries.

Florida’s low ranking this year is a drop from the 2015 survey when the state was ranked 44th, and lower than 2012’s analysis with a ranking of 41. 

Since 2002 the Lawsuit Climate Survey has observed each state’s liability systems demonstrating fairness and reasonable judgments from the perception of U.S. businesses.

Editor's note: The Florida Record is owned by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform.