WASHINGTON, DC – A new Weiss Ratings analysis finds Florida homeowners are still being forced to take legal action against their property insurers at the highest rate in the nation, years after Republican lawmakers passed sweeping industry-backed tort reforms promising to lower litigation, which would lower costs. Not only have the reforms pushed by the insurance lobby limited consumers’ recourse to hold their home insurer accountable, Floridians still pay the one of the highest rates in the nation for home insurance, and rates are expected to jump again next year.
“Florida Republicans told homeowners that tort reform would fix this crisis, yet homeowners are still being forced to sue their insurance companies more than ever while premiums keep climbing,” said Jayson O’Neill, spokesperson for Unlocking America’s Future. “Homeowners aren’t heading to court for fun. They’re doing it because it’s often the only way left to hold their home insurer accountable for an unjust claim denial. Republican leaders handed the industry exactly what it asked for, and Florida workers and families are still paying the price.”
Florida homeowners filed 143 lawsuits per 1,000 claims closed without payment in 2025, up from 129 in 2024 and 124 in 2022, the year before reform took effect. Florida’s litigation rate remains more than ten times the rest of the country, undercutting insurers’ case for stripping away homeowners’ legal protections.
Other reports that the Florida Republican and insurance industry’s tort reforms are working is erroneous. Weiss Ratings, the only independent research organization in America that has been tracking and releasing data to the public on the worsening trend of homeowner claims denials by insurers, founder Dr. Martin D. Weiss noted that Florida regulators, the insurance industry, and others ‘relied heavily on raw lawsuit counts that are not adjusted for storm activity, claims volume, or unpaid-claim activity.” A report issued last year using industry data and statutory filings revealed a pattern after the Republican-passed legislation: higher claims denial and litigation rates.
Florida now leads the nation in home foreclosure, with Tampa registering the worst rate among major U.S. metros, as home insurance costs consume more and more of families’ household budgets.
Key Findings
- Florida homeowners filed 143 lawsuits per 1,000 claims closed without payment in 2025, up from 129 in 2024 and 124 in 2022, before tort reform.
- Florida’s lawsuit rate was 10.7 times higher than the rest of the country in 2025, and 11.8 times higher in 2024.
- Weiss Ratings founder Martin D. Weiss said insurers rely on raw counts that ignore storm activity and claims volume.
- Florida’s 2023 tort reform law, backed by Republican lawmakers, was pitched as a fix for high litigation and rising premiums.
Additional Resources:
- Trump’s Gutting Of FEMA Disaster Protection Pushing More Risks And Higher Costs Onto Homeowners
- Florida Leads Nation in Foreclosures as Insurance Crisis Costs Homeowners Their Homes
- Florida’s Insurance Crisis: How Homeowners Pay More While Insurers Profit
- Florida Congressional Republicans Fail to Take Action on Worsening Home Insurance Crisis
Email jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com to set up interviews with ratings, legal, advocacy, and insurance experts.
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