Disability Law

Amended SB 2072 Passes Senate Judiciary Committee

By David A. McCranie, Esq.

By a margin of 8-1, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted favorably on SB 2072 yesterday, but with  substantial amendments which had been offered by the trial bar.  One amendment to the bill (549680) provides that the

fee payable under this subsection may be increased up to the fee paid by the employer or carrier to the employer's or carrier's attorneys if it is determined that the employer or carrier engaged in a bad faith denial of benefits, unreasonably delayed furnishing benefits that were due and owing, or unreasonably continued or increased the expense of litigation.

 

All committee members except Sen. Garrett Richter (R-Naples), the sponsor of the original bill, voted in favor.  The bill now moves to the Senate Committee on General Government Appropriations which, as the News Service of Florida reports here, may restore the bill to its original form.  The committee is set to take up the bill on April 20.

Full post as published by Florida Workers’ Compensation Law Blog on April 16, 2009 (boomark / email).