Aug 31, 2026 · LawyerUnc editorial · Tort reform · Florida · YMYL

Tort reform changes three things: the clock, the split, and the ceiling

Florida HB 837 and Georgia SB 68 are not mysteries. They change how long you have, what happens if you share blame, and whether a jury can write a number for pain.

Last checked Aug 31, 2026 · LawyerUnc editorial. Educational only, not legal advice.

Legislatures do not rewrite the civil system with a press release. They change three statutory variables: how long you have to sue, what happens if you share blame, and whether a jury can write a number for pain and suffering.

The clock. Florida cut many ordinary injury deadlines from four years to two, effective March 24, 2023. If you were hurt after that date, the old 'I have time' story is how files die.

Shared blame. Pure comparative cuts your recovery. Modified comparative can zero you out at 50% or 51%. Contributory (Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia) can zero you out at 1%. Florida left the pure-comparative world in 2023. D.C. entered it.

The ceiling: caps on pain and suffering, especially in medical cases. Texas Chapter 74 is the classic. Georgia's 2025 bill did not copy a dollar cap. It went after how lawyers argue the number to the jury.

None of that is a ruling on your facts. It is the map. The tracker is here: /tort-reform. Last checked 31 August 2026.