The High Court will resolve the dispute among Florida’s District Courts which have issued conflicting rulings. Since its enactment in 2021, Florida Statute § 627.70152 has sparked debate about whether it applies...more
The Florida Supreme Court is a court of limited jurisdiction, with authority to hear only those matters specifically enumerated in the Florida Constitution. One such basis permits the court to exercise its jurisdiction where...more
Cases in which plaintiffs advance a claim for imposition of punitive damages are among the most likely to keep a defense lawyer up at night. Several recent cases from Florida district courts of appeal have reinforced the...more
It is long-standing law in Florida (and elsewhere) that an insurer can deny a claim when it was prejudiced by a policyholder’s failure to provide timely notice. However, there has been some debate in recent years about whose...more
In a recent opinion, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal provided further guidance regarding the changes to Florida’s summary judgment rule. See Whitlow v. Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, Inc., --- So. 3d ---, Case No....more
The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday, March 8, 2023, in the case of Allstate Insurance Co. et al. v. Revival Chiropractic LLC, case number SC22-735, regarding payment of medical expenses that could affect...more
Most of the Florida homes in the path of Hurricane Ian lack flood insurance, posing a major challenge to rebuilding efforts, new data show. In the counties whose residents were told to evacuate, just 18.5 percent of homes...more
A sometimes-overlooked factor in unjust enrichment claims is that the claimant must directly confer a benefit on the defendant—not indirectly, not effectively, not practically, but directly. The Florida Supreme Court made...more
Florida has not added a District Court of Appeal (DCA) since 1979 when the legislature created the Fifth DCA, but Florida’s judicial branch, in coordination with the executive and legislative branches is now adding a Sixth...more
September 6, 2022 Every appellate attorney’s dream is a well-developed record on appeal without any unpreserved errors. But that is not always possible. The recent amendment to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.530(a), issued...more
In a recent decision, the Second District Court of Appeal (“Second DCA”) reiterated what is, and is not, covered by the attorney-client privilege. This decision provides additional guidance to school boards—and other public...more
What’s the difference between too late and just in time? The Supreme Court of Florida just decided that a medical malpractice plaintiff who mails the required presuit notice before the expiration of the statute of...more
On June 2, 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed CS/HB 7027 creating Chapter 2022-163, Laws of Florida, paving the way for a Sixth District Court of Appeal. Governor DeSantis also approved a budget that includes funding for...more
In a 6-1 decision, the Supreme Court of Florida reversed the Second District Court of Appeal and found that a Texas couple who accepted a “clickwrap” terms of service agreement when booking a vacation rental had also accepted...more
On February 3, 2022, the Florida Supreme Court issued its opinion in Pincus v. American Traffic Solutions, Inc. clarifying that under Florida law, where a plaintiff has received adequate consideration in exchange for a...more
In a recent case, the Florida Supreme Court held that an arbitration covenant contained in a developer’s original deed also bound the second owner. The case serves as a good reminder that, although a subsequent owner of...more
On January 6, 2022, the Florida Supreme Court adopted a new rule that authorizes appeals from interlocutory orders that allow or disallow an amendment to add a claim for punitive damages. Prior to this amendment, there...more
On January 6, 2022, the Florida Supreme Court started the new year off with a bang, to wit: the Court amended Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130 to allow for appeals of nonfinal orders granting or denying motions to...more
On January 6, 2021, the Florida Supreme Court adopted an amendment to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130 authorizing immediate appeals of orders granting or denying leave to seek punitive damages.[1] Under this...more
The Florida Supreme Court has formally adopted the Apex Doctrine and incorporated it into the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. On August 26, 2021, the Court amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.280 by codifying the...more
On June 1, 2021, theEleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a summary judgment granted in favor of an insurer in a third party bad faith claim. The case, Eres v. Progressive American Insurance Company, Case No. 20-11006,...more
The Florida Supreme Court has given the proverbial “green light” for insurance companies to sue attorneys for negligent representation of an insured. Historically, to bring an action against an attorney for legal malpractice...more
Four hundred and fifty-six days after it was approved by more than 57% of the Hillsborough County electorate, legal challenges to a county charter amendment that added a 1% sales tax designed to finance the county’s...more
Florida Supreme Court rewrites the rules, lifting restrictions on the immediate appeal of orders denying absolute, qualified, or sovereign immunity. For those who have kept abreast of the latest opinions issued by the...more
Impact of Amendments to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130 and Florida Highway Patrol v. Jackson on Governmental Entities and Employees If you are a State Agency, City, County, Sheriff’s Office, School Board, Police...more