Florida Lawmakers Hike Damage Caps for Government Negligence to $350K

Floridians injured by government negligence — including residents across Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties — could collect significantly more in damages without a special act of the Legislature under a bill now headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The measure, House Bill 145, raises the sovereign immunity caps that limit how much a victim can receive from a government entity without seeking a claims bill from the Legislature. The individual cap would increase from $200,000 to $350,000, and the per-incident cap would rise from $300,000 to $500,000.

Under current law, when a court awards a plaintiff more than those thresholds in a lawsuit against a government body — such as a county, city, or school district — the victim must seek a separate "claims bill" from the Legislature to collect the remainder. The higher caps mean more victims could be made whole through the courts alone, without the added burden of that legislative process.

Any local government entity in the Treasure Coast region, including county commissions, municipalities, and special districts, could face larger automatic payouts in negligence cases involving car crashes, slip-and-falls on public property, or other incidents involving government employees or facilities.

The bill cleared both chambers of the Florida Legislature and awaits action by the governor.

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