House advances bill expanding who may sue in malpractice deaths.
Florida lawmakers are once again moving a widely watched bill that would reshape who can bring wrongful death cases tied to medical care, with the latest push framed by supporters as part of a broader wrongful death expansion effort. The House is advancing the measure at a steady pace, even though the Senate has not taken up a matching plan. Supporters say the proposal offers long-denied rights to families who lose loved ones under preventable circumstances, while critics warn that it may impact the state’s health care system and insurance market.
The wrongful death expansion bill would open the door for two new groups to sue when medical care leads to a preventable death. Parents of single adults who are 25 or older could bring a claim, and grown children could seek damages when a single parent dies due to medical mistakes. Backers describe this wrongful death expansion as long overdue, stressing that current rules leave certain families with no legal path forward. They argue that the framework creates a sense that some lives carry less weight under the law. The sponsor has spoken repeatedly about wanting to help residents who feel they have no voice, urging fellow lawmakers to take seriously the stories shared by families who say the system failed them.
Opposition has come from several directions, with critics focused on what the wrongful death expansion could mean for the medical malpractice climate statewide. Some warn that the number of lawsuits may rise sharply and place additional pressure on malpractice insurers. Industry representatives say Florida already faces steep increases in insurance rates for high-risk fields such as obstetrics, emergency medicine, and orthopedics. They point to the state’s legal environment as a driving force behind rising premiums and cite recent large jury awards that have brought national attention. Some label these verdicts an emerging sign of risk for insurers, though others say they reflect severe errors in care rather than any shift in public sentiment.
The wrongful death expansion has also reignited conversation about financial limits on damages in medical malpractice cases. Florida has operated without such caps for several years following a court decision that struck them down. The governor has expressed interest in revisiting the issue, calling financial limits an important safeguard against what he views as excessive awards. Some lawmakers and interest groups say any wrongful death expansion should be paired with new limits on damages to keep the system balanced. The House speaker has resisted the idea, while the Senate president has shown more openness to discussing it. A previous attempt to pass a bill including a cap failed by a single vote earlier in the year, and the governor later rejected the version that ultimately passed.
Families affected by preventable deaths have continued to speak publicly in support of the wrongful death expansion. Some describe losing loved ones after clear lapses in care, only to discover that the law gave them no way to seek answers. Several argue that the current structure treats unmarried adults without children differently from everyone else, leaving parents without a legal tool to pursue accountability. Others dislike the phrase often used to describe the law but say it still reflects how the system functions for families shut out of the process.
As the House prepares for a floor debate, the future of the wrongful death expansion remains uncertain without a Senate partner. The discussion continues to draw strong feelings from families, medical groups, and lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Sources:
Revived wrongful death bill clears last committee; ready for House floor debate
Florida House revives effort to repeal medical malpractice damages law
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