Attorney Doug Burnetti on Proposed Increase to Florida Government Liability Caps

If you and I or I are negligent and we hurt somebody in a vehicle or whatever, we have to deal with it. We’re supposed to have coverage to pay for it. Well, so should the gov why is the government any different?

Well, it’s a question that will now be up to governor Rhonda Santas. Should the state increase the amount people can sue government entities for when negligence occurs?

All eyes will be on the governor moving forward. Will he sign it into or reach for his veto pen? News Channel eight’s capital bureau reporter Mackenzie Laporte is in Tallahassee with that debate.

The last round of bills from this legislative session had finally made their way to governor Ron DeSantis’ desk, who is yet to veto any, But this one could be his first. It’s a debate that had a number of eyes on it this past session, with one side saying it would add financial pressure on its cities, counties, schools, and hospitals, while the other says our laws make it incredibly difficult for an ordinary citizen to be compensated when the government breaks a law for Sarasota representative Fiona McFarland. This has been an issue she has fought for the past three years and wanted to strike a balance. Currently, those injured by state and local governments are allowed to collect within the liability threshold. The bill would look to increase current caps from two hundred thousand per person to three hundred thousand and three fifty thousand per incident to five hundred thousand.

This is something that really has needed to be done for a long time.

Tampa injury lawyer Doug Baretti says he handles these types of cases, and while this is a step in the right direction, it still doesn’t account for rising costs.

Inflation is just a fact of life, and the government is not following it, so they should have to follow it just like we all do.

Bernetti is hopeful the governor signs the measure into law, but not everyone is on board. Groups like the Florida Hospital Association are pushing for the opposite, sending a veto request letter to DeSantis himself, arguing that higher caps would likely increase settlement values, defense costs, and insurance premiums. For now, all eyes will continue to be on Governor Ron DeSantis to see if he will sign this bill into law or veto it. Reporting here from Tallahassee, Mackenzie Laporte eight on your side.