The new law in Florida for car accidents is House Bill 837. This new law became effective on March 24, 2023, and was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, marks a significant reform to the state’s tort system, particularly regarding instances involving auto accidents and personal injury.
This new law has brought about significant changes, such as:

Statute of Limitations: After an automobile accident, you now have two years instead of four to file a personal injury claim.

Comparative Negligence: The law modifies Florida’s comparative negligence system from a “pure” to a “modified” format. In this revised system, if a plaintiff is found to be over 50 percent responsible for their own injury, they are ineligible to recover damages from any defendant.

Medical Expenses Evidence: The new law states that the entire amount of bills is not admissible as proof of medical expenses. Now, the law only allows the actual amount paid by a third party. In addition, plaintiffs are now required to reveal any relevant health insurance coverage they had at the time of treatment for therapies received under a letter of protection. Specifically, Florida’s new tort reform law, HB 837, ties medical bills in personal injury cases to Medicare and Medicaid rates, allowing evidence of 120% of the Medicare reimbursement rate, or if not applicable, 170% of the Medicaid rate, for calculating damages when the plaintiff lacks insurance or is covered by Medicare or Medicaid

Advocates of these measures have argued that they will result in reduced insurance prices, but the law does not directly force insurance companies to drop their rates.