FLORIDA STATE TORT CLAIMS ATTORNEY

Florida law allows victims of negligence to seek compensation from the State of Florida in certain instances. Specifically, you can file a claim or lawsuit against the state if:

• Your injury resulted from a wrongful act or an omission
• You sustained losses for which you may be compensated (such as medical bills)
• If the negligent party was a private party rather than a state agency, employee, or representative, they would be deemed liable in these circumstances

That said, numerous limitations also apply in these cases. They include the following:

• Individual government employees may not be considered personally liable except when they intentionally harm victims
• If a case is brought against one state agency, the maximum amount of damages available is $200,000; if a claim is brought against multiple agencies, the maximum amount of damages available is $300,000
• Punitive damages (which serve to punish the liable party instead of compensating the victim for specific losses) cannot be awarded in these cases, nor can interest that accrued prior to an official judgment being entered
• The state can appeal a case’s outcome
• When bringing an action against a state university, a plaintiff must do so in the county where the university’s main campus is based, unless it can be shown that the university has a “substantial presence” in another county