Firm News

FMG’s Julie Karron Releases White Paper Regarding Impact of HB 837 on Jury Instructions in FL

3/8/24

Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP’s Florida Partner Julie B. Karron has released a white paper regarding the new standard jury instructions being considered to facilitate the apportionment of fault by a jury in light of Florida’s new modified system of comparative fault.

Florida has traditionally been a pure comparative fault state, where plaintiffs could recover damages in a personal injury action even if they were mostly—or even nearly entirely—at fault for their own damages. Governor Ron DeSantis’s signing of HB 837 on March 24, 2023 modified Florida’s comparative fault law to bar a plaintiff’s recovery if they are more than 50% at fault for their own harm.

Read the full paper below to learn about the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases‘ proposal of new jury instructions and a new verdict form in light of these new laws.

Please reach out to Julie Karron at julie.karron@fmglaw.com with any questions regarding the information in this paper.

Click here to view the white paper.