As of 2025, Florida has enacted several major legal reforms that impact how personal injury claims, liability matters, and criminal and traffic defense cases are handled across the state and right here in the Tampa Bay area.
Whether you’re a driver, property owner, business operator, or insurer, understanding these changes now is essential.
Major Civil / Personal Injury Law Updates
1. Shortened Statute of
Limitations
Under House Bill 837 (“HB 837”), most general negligence claims including auto accidents, slip-and-fall, or premises liability must now be filed within two years of the date of injury. This replaced the previous four-year standard.
If an incident occurred in Hillsborough,
Pinellas, or Pasco County and treatment or investigation has been delayed, the window for action is much tighter.
2. Modified Comparative Negligence Rule
Florida moved from a “pure comparative negligence” system to a “modified comparative negligence” standard — meaning that if a claimant is found to be more than 50% at fault, they may be barred entirely from recovering damages.
Example: If an injured party is deemed 51% responsible, the claim could be zeroed out regardless of the other party’s misconduct.
In multi-party incidents in Tampa Bay such as multi-vehicle crashes or premises plus contractor, allocating fault now becomes even more critical.
3. Procedural & Evidence Changes
Starting January 1, 2025, procedural rules governing civil litigation have been revised to include faster discovery timelines, more active case management, and heightened pressure to
gather evidence early.
Insurers and defendants are expected to move more quickly while plaintiffs must be
proactive.
Incident documentation including photos/videos, witness accounts, or maintenance logs should be secured immediately
and preservation efforts begun without delay.
4. Emerging Insurance / Liability Considerations
Some reforms target “bad-faith” insurance claims, billing/claims handling, and other liability-adjacent issues.
For property owners and commercial/industrial clients, proactively reviewing
safety, incident response, maintenance and oversight protocols is more important than ever in the Tampa Bay area, given these shifts.
Criminal / Traffic / Public-Safety Law Updates
1. Enhanced Penalties for Traffic & Vehicle Offenses
Under House Bill 113, the offense severity ranking for fleeing or eluding law enforcement was increased for
certain high-speed or injury-resulting incidents.
Under House Bill 687 (often referred to locally as “Trenton’s Law”), penalties for repeat
DUI/BUI manslaughter or vehicular homicide were increased.
Tampa Bay’s heavy traffic corridors, tourism zones,
and mixed‐use roads mean more frequent enforcement. The increased criminal liability also impacts the civil side, for example, if a vehicle‐crash leads to personal injury litigation.
2. Broader Criminal Justice & Risk
Implications
Several other laws taking effect as of October 1 2025 address issues from deep-fake pornography with House Bill 757 to landlord/tenant flood disclosures and mental-health diversion.
Being aware of these new statutes allows time to develop a proactive defense strategy.
Business and property managers should factor traffic offenses, criminal exposures, and related civil liability such as hit and run or fleet operations into their risk management
plans.
What Tampa Bay Businesses & Clients Should Do Now
Review incident response protocols: From the moment a slip-and-fall, auto accident, or near-miss occurs, start preserving evidence.
Educate your teams: Drivers, facility managers, maintenance and other staff should be made aware that timing matters. The new two-year deadline and fault threshold make delays more costly.
Insurers and risk managers should update their underwriting and case handling guides to reflect the new comparative fault threshold and enhanced criminal and traffic exposure.
For questions or concerns about Florida laws, criminal defense, personal injury or other legal matters, we always offer a free consultation and detailed case review.
