Personal Letter To Florida CFO Tom Gallagher, Republican Candidate For Governor

Dear Mr. Gallagher:

I happened upon an article in the Insurance Journal about your speech to the Trustees of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

You are a scary guy. You may have had a computer chip inserted into your brain by the Chamber or insurance companies. I recommend an MRI or CT Scan of your head.

I know it is customary for politicians to say what a particular audience would like to hear. But, you came with so many well-rehearsed applause lines for the Chamber of Commerce Trustees – I think you must have memorized the big business play book to deny injured victims fair compensation. The audience must have jumped to their feet with wild applause. I’ll bet your campaign contributions spiked, too.

If you discover the computer chip and have it removed, it is possible you will be able to relate to the losses and needs of the wrongfully injured.

Bob Carroll
Personal Injury Attorney

Florida’s CFO Promises to Reform Premises Liability Rule, Fix ‘Broken Civil Justice System’

A lack of meaningful tort reform in Florida has added unnecessary expenses to the insurance and healthcare industries in Florida, CFO Tom Gallagher told the Coral Springs, Fla. Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees. One of two Republican candidates running for governor, Gallagher unveiled a detailed tort reform plan he claimed will “fix Florida’s broken civil justice system.”

Gallagher’s plan calls for abolishing joint and several liability; reforming class action litigation to discourage venue shopping for class action lawsuits; ensuring fair and accurate testimony by requiring state licensure of expert witnesses: Reforming premises liability so that property owners are not held liable for the actions of unassociated third-parties; and creating a “Business Court,” providing a streamlined process for resolving commercial disputes devoted entirely to complex business litigation.

Gallagher said no discussion of tort reform is complete without considering the issue of judicial appointments. If Florida’s legal climate is to improve, the next Governor must appoint judges who clamp down on frivolous and baseless lawsuits. The fact is that judges are the first line of defense against those who seek to manipulate the system for unfair gain. No amount of reform will be successful unless we have judges who understand that it is the Legislature that gets to set public policy, not the courts.