When it comes to car insurance, most states fall under one of two categories. Twelve states are what are called “no-fault” states, including the state of Florida. The other states are tort states, which means that the injured party can sue the at-fault driver.
Unfortunately, in no-fault states, the injured party must carry insurance coverage that they will turn to first to cover damages, including medical bills for injuries. In no-fault states, the victims would have to meet a certain threshold of medical or mechanical expenses before they could sue the other driver.
The Center Square reports that a Florida House panel has authorized a proposed repeal of Florida’s no-fault insurance law.
Floridians are paying the third-highest car insurance rates in the country despite having relatively flat roads that are straight and ice-free.
For those looking to a reason for insurance rates to be so high, the most often cited cause is the state’s no-fault insurance regulations. However, unlike other states that require no-fault personal injury protection coverage, Florida is one of two states that does not require injuries or deaths if at fault.
If repealed, Florida residents could save around $81 per year per car.
The bill has already been approved by the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee by a 13-1 vote, but opponents of the bill say that the fight has just begun. The companion bill making its way through the Senate has passed the Infrastructure & Security Committee.
Florida originally adopted its no-fault laws in 1970.