On April 11, 2019, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill attempting to create a reduction in the number of alleged assignment of benefits abuse cases. If it makes it through the remaining regulatory hurdles, HB 7065 would allow insurance companies to restrict assignments of benefits, in whole or in part, on residential or commercial property policies and automobile policies. Additionally, HB 7065 requires the third-party assignee to perform certain pre-lawsuit duties in order to seek direct payment from the insurance company, such as providing complete records of the repair.
The Florida Senate has a similar bill, Senate Bill 122, currently sitting with the Senate Rules Committee. If approved, the bills will be reconciled and presented to the Governor for his signature. The insurance industry has been seeking legislation to curb abusive assignment of benefits cases for a number of years.
