Miami Herald: Fla. House passes limits on lawsuits, lawyer fees
Mar 18, 2010
The Miami Herald published this article on Marcyh 18, 2010.
The Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The House has passed a pair of bills to limit “slip-and-fall” lawsuits against businesses and cap fees the state pays to outside lawyers.
Both votes Thursday were setbacks for trial lawyers. The bills next go to the Senate.
The slip-and-fall bill (HB 689) would make it harder for injured people to win lawsuits. They would be required to prove a business knew or should have known a dangerous condition existed for sufficient time to have fixed it or that it was foreseeable. The bill passed 110-2.
The measure (HB 437) putting a $50 million cap on fees of outside lawyers representing the state in lawsuits is a top priority of Attorney General Bill McCollum, also a Republican candidate for governor. It passed 71-40.