Sunshine Sentinel

Brandon Blake, a partner at Bolin Law Group, expressed concerns that House Bill 1551 (HB 1551) could reverse progress made by recent property insurance reforms. He said this during testimony on April 3.

"Under one-way fees, there was an entitlement to fees for the plaintiff's attorneys. That was the front door. That front door is closed. You've done that, and you did a great job of doing it," said B. "You will undo all of the good work that you did in the property insurance reforms. Going from 2022 rate increases were 20% now 0.8%—the lowest in the country."

According to Florida Politics, in 2022, Florida implemented significant property insurance reforms to stabilize the market by reducing litigation costs and curbing fraudulent claims. These measures resulted in a notable decrease in the rate of insurance premium increases, with the average homeowner premium rise dropping to 1% in 2024, the lowest in the nation. However, the introduction of HB 1551 in 2025, which proposes reinstating attorney fee awards to prevailing parties in insurance disputes, has raised concerns among industry stakeholders. They argue that this could reverse the progress made, potentially leading to increased litigation and higher insurance costs for consumers.

The Triple-I Blog reported that before the 2022 reforms, Florida accounted for approximately 71% of the nation's homeowners insurance claim-related litigation, despite representing only 15% of total claims. The legislative changes, including eliminating certain attorney fee provisions, contributed to a significant decline in such litigation. This shift has been instrumental in attracting new insurers to the Florida market and providing consumers with more coverage options.

According to the Florida Senate, HB 1551 seeks to mandate awarding attorney fees to prevailing parties in civil actions against insurers, including surplus lines insurers. The bill outlines criteria for determining the prevailing party and specifies these provisions' applicability to certain insurers and insurance policies. Proponents argue that this measure ensures fairness for policyholders, while critics warn it may lead to increased litigation and undermine recent efforts to stabilize the insurance market.

Blake is a partner at Bolin Law Group, a Florida-based law firm specializing in insurance defense and civil litigation. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with minors in History and Classics from the University of Florida and obtained his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law. His legal practice focuses on representing insurers in first-party property claims and liability defense cases involving water, hurricane, windstorm, and fire losses.