Attorney Pay Hikes in Fla. and Texas Produce Vastly Different Outcomes

In Florida, a ruling by the state Supreme Court that insurers and employers must pay "reasonable" attorney fees sparked a proposed rate increase of nearly 20%, with projected costs of more than $700 million. In Texas, the Division of Workers' Compensation is proposing a 33% increase in both claimants' and defense attorney fees, and even in the worst-case scenario the additional cost isn't expected to top $50 million or boost rates by more than a few tenths of a percent. Why the dramatic difference? “You have two states with dramatically different structures i...