By Jeff Dunsavage, Senior Research Analyst, Triple-I

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week that state regulators have secured nearly $1 billion in premium refunds for Progressive auto insurance policyholders in the state, due to cost savings achieved through litigation reform.

DeSantis, who signed sweeping tort reform legislation bills into law in 2022 and 2023, said the refunds are a direct result of declining litigation expenses in Florida’s auto insurance market.

“Florida was really considered a litigation hellhole by a lot of folks,” DeSantis said. “That contributed to consumers having to bear more costs with respect to auto insurance.”

He pledged Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworksy is negotiating with other major auto carriers for similar reimbursements to their customers.

Mark Friedlander, Triple-I’s director of communications, told Spectrum News Florida that reduced lawsuit expenses has enabled auto insurers to lower average costs and, in some cases, return premium to customers.

“When you take that out of the equation — all of those abusive lawsuits — this brings down the expenses, and that in turn gets passed along to the consumer,” Friedlander said. “The consumer wins with legal system reform.”

Learn More:

Litigation Reform Works: Florida Auto Insurance Premium Rates Declining

Florida Senate Rejects Legal-Reform Challenge

What Florida’s Misguided Investigation Means for Georgia Tort Reform

Florida Bills Would Reverse Progress on Costly Legal System Abuse

Florida Reforms Bear Fruit as Premium Rates Stabilize 

How Georgia Might Learn From Florida Reforms

Resilience Investments Paid Off in Florida During Hurricane Milton

Florida Homeowners Premium Growth Slows as Reforms Take Hold, Inflation Cools