Florida Statute 766.209 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research

The 2024 Florida Statutes

Title XLV
TORTS

Chapter 766
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AND RELATED MATTERS

View Entire Chapter

F.S. 766.209

766.209 Effects of failure to offer or accept voluntary binding arbitration.—

(1) A proceeding for voluntary binding arbitration is an alternative to jury trial and shall not supersede the right of any party to a jury trial.

(2) If neither party requests or agrees to voluntary binding arbitration, the claim shall proceed to trial or to any available legal alternative such as offer of and demand for judgment under s. 768.79 or offer of settlement under s. 45.061.

(3) If the defendant refuses a claimant’s offer of voluntary binding arbitration:

(a) The claim shall proceed to trial, and the claimant, upon proving medical negligence, shall be entitled to recover damages subject to the limitations in s. 766.118, prejudgment interest, and reasonable attorney’s fees up to 25 percent of the award reduced to present value.

(b) The claimant’s award at trial shall be reduced by any damages recovered by the claimant from arbitrating codefendants following arbitration.

(4) If the claimant rejects a defendant’s offer to enter voluntary binding arbitration:

(a) The damages awardable at trial shall be limited to net economic damages, plus noneconomic damages not to exceed $350,000 per incident. The Legislature expressly finds that such conditional limit on noneconomic damages is warranted by the claimant’s refusal to accept arbitration, and represents an appropriate balance between the interests of all patients who ultimately pay for medical negligence losses and the interests of those patients who are injured as a result of medical negligence.

(b) Net economic damages reduced to present value shall be awardable, including, but not limited to, past and future medical expenses and 80 percent of wage loss and loss of earning capacity, offset by any collateral source payments.

(c) Damages for future economic losses shall be awarded to be paid by periodic payments pursuant to s. 766.202(9), and shall be offset by future collateral source payments.

(5) Jury trial shall proceed in accordance with existing principles of law.

History.—s. 56, ch. 88-1; s. 32, ch. 88-277; s. 63, ch. 2003-416; s. 156, ch. 2004-5.

F.S. 766.209 on Google Scholar

F.S. 766.209 on Casetext

Amendments to 766.209

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 766.209

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 766.209.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 766.209

Total Results: 20

HEALTHCARE UNDERWRITERS GROUP, INC., AMARNATH VEDERE, M.D. and CARDIOLOGY PARTNERS, P.L. v. DEBORAH SANFORD, as Personal Representative of the ESTATE OF GERALD L. SANFORD

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2022-03-30T00:53:00-07:00

Snippet: provisions of s. 766.209(3).” § 766.207(7)(k), Fla. Stat. (2020). In turn, section 766.209(3)(a) provides…to present value. § 766.209(3)(a), Fla. Stat. (2020). Because section 766.209(3)(a) does not state…under section 766.209 from traditional prejudgment interest on the basis that section 766.209 prejudgment…sought pre-judgment interest, allowed under section 766.209. The parties disagreed as to the date from which… subject to the additional costs under section 766.209(3)(a). Therefore, prejudgment interest should run

Allstate Insurance Company v. Orthopedic Specialists, etc.

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 2017-01-26T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 212 So. 3d 973, 42 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 38, 2017 WL 372092, 2017 Fla. LEXIS 194

Snippet: shall be subject to the provisions of section 766.209(4),’ which limits the noneconomic damages to be

Estate of Michelle Evette McCall v. United States

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 2014-03-13T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 134 So. 3d 894, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 104, 2014 WL 959180, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 933

Snippet: ’s offer to arbitrate. Id. (describing section 766.209(4), Fla. Stat. (Supp.1988)). Thereafter, in April

Franks v. Bowers

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 2013-06-20T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 116 So. 3d 1240, 38 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 416, 2013 WL 3064807, 2013 Fla. LEXIS 1222

Snippet: non-economic damage caps found in sections 766.207 and 766.209, provide claimants with a “commensurate benefit…recover non-economic damages. Sections 766.207 and 766.209 only limit a claimant’s right to recover non-economic

Franks v. Bowers

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2011-03-16T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 62 So. 3d 16, 2011 Fla. App. LEXIS 3493, 2011 WL 891941

Snippet: a means of dispute resolution. See §§ 766.207; 766.209; 766.118, Fla. Stat. The differences between the

Parham v. FLORIDA HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, INC.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2010-03-31T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 35 So. 3d 920, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 4183, 2010 WL 1222925

Snippet: have been subject to the cap. See § 766.209(4)(a). [3] Section 766.209 is titled "Effects of failure…liability for noneconomic damages contained in section 766.209(4), Florida Statutes (2003). The trial court also… in the amount of $350,000 pursuant to section 766.209(4). Finally, we affirm the trial court's decision…from the limitation on liability under section 766.209(4). In light of our ruling, we do not reach that…enforce the limitation of liability in section 766.209(4). Second, it filed a motion for remittitur under

Raphael v. Shecter

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2009-09-23T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 18 So. 3d 1152, 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 14084, 2009 WL 3018157

Snippet: to section 766.209(4). In this case, neither party offered to arbitrate, so section 766.209(2) would have…medical malpractice action was governed by section 766.209(2), Florida Statutes (2002), which stated that …of voluntary binding arbitration under section 766.209(3) and the limitation of non-economic damages would…STEVENSON and MAY, JJ., concur. NOTES [1] Section 766.209, Florida Statutes (2002), provided as follows:

COLUMBIA/JFK MEDICAL CTR. v. Sangounchitte

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2008-02-12T23:53:00-08:00

Citation: 977 So. 2d 639

Snippet: in awarding attorney's fees under section 766.209, Florida Statutes, which provides for voluntary

University of Miami v. Wilson

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2007-02-27T23:53:00-08:00

Citation: 948 So. 2d 774

Snippet: .1993)(holding constitutional sections 766.207 and 766.209 of the Florida statutes providing a monetary cap

Advisory Op. to Atty. Gen. Re Comp. Amend.

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 2004-07-15T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 880 So. 2d 675

Snippet: capped not to exceed $350,000 per incident. See § 766.209, Fla. Stat. (2003). If the parties proceed to trial

Advisory Opinion to the Attorney General re the Medical Liability Claimant's Compensation Amendment

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 2004-07-15T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 880 So. 2d 675, 29 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 395, 2004 Fla. LEXIS 1008

Snippet: capped not to exceed $350,000 per incident. See § 766.209, Fla. Stat. (2003). If the parties proceed to trial

Barlow v. North Okaloosa Medical Center

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 2004-02-11T23:53:00-08:00

Citation: 877 So. 2d 655

Snippet: with the damages available under sections 766.209(2) and 766.209(3)(a).[4] I. THE DEFINITION OF "NET…available in voluntary arbitration under sections 766.209(4)(a) and 766.207(7) of the Medical Malpractice…for the award of damages provided for in section 766.209 consistent.[8] It is also the result after the …relevant scenarios are provided for in section 766.209, Florida Statutes: 1. If neither the claimant …proceeds to trial under the Wrongful Death Act. See § 766.209(2) Fla. Stat. 2. If the defendant refuses a claimant

Graber v. CLARENDON NAT. INS. CO.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2002-05-15T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 819 So. 2d 840

Snippet: Prejudgment interest is awarded under section 766.209, Florida Statutes, "[i]f the defendant refuses…distinguish prejudgment interest under section 766.209 from that traditionally imposed on liquidated damages…reference to prejudgment interest under section 766.209. The policy does not exclude prejudgment interest

Tetrault v. Fairchild

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2001-07-24T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 799 So. 2d 226

Snippet: adopted the offer of judgment standard. See § 766.209(2), Fla. Stat. (2000). Under the statutory provision

Doig v. Chester

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 2001-02-01T23:53:00-08:00

Citation: 776 So. 2d 1043

Snippet: jury verdict on non-economic damages. See Section 766.209(2). If both parties agree to arbitration, there…instead *1045 proceeds to trial.[1]See Section 766.209(4)(a). In any event there is no limit on economic

St. Mary's Hospital, Inc. v. Phillipe

Court: Fla. | Date Filed: 2000-06-29T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 769 So. 2d 961

Snippet: arbitrate shall be subject to the provisions of s. 766.209(3). A claimant who rejects a defendants offer to…arbitrate shall be subject to the provisions of s. 766.209(4). (Emphasis added.) For the purposes of this … the constitutionality of sections 766.207 and 766.209; however, in that case we were not presented with… shall be subject to the provisions of section 766.209(4)," which limits the noneconomic damages … damages provision is replicated under section 766.209, which applies when a claimant rejects an offer

St. Mary's Hosp., Inc. v. Phillipe

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1997-10-22T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 699 So. 2d 1017

Snippet: non-economic damage caps found in sections 766.207 and 766.209, provide claimants with a `commensurate benefit…recover non-economic damages. Sections 766.207 and 766.209 only limit a claimant's right to recover non-economic…arbitrate shall be subject to the provisions of s. 766.209(3). A claimant who rejects a defendant's offer…arbitrate shall be subject to the provisions of s. 766.209(4).... The provisions of this subsection shall

Platman v. Holmes Regional Medical Center, Inc.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1996-12-06T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 683 So. 2d 671, 1996 Fla. App. LEXIS 12785, 1996 WL 697824

Snippet: arbitrate shall be subject to the provisions of s. 766.209(3). A claimant who rejects a defendant’s offer …arbitrate shall be subject to the provisions of s. 766.209(4). (l) The hearing shall be conducted by all of…time by mutual agreement of the parties. Section 766.209 contains sanctions for the party who rejects an…not to exceed $350,000.00 per incident. Section 766.209(4)(a). The Florida Supreme Court has upheld the… the constitutionality of sections 766.207 and 766.209 against attacks that they violate a claimant’s

Bombalier v. Lifemark Hosp. of Fla.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1995-09-06T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 661 So. 2d 849

Snippet: cap on non-economic damages contained in section 766.209(4)(a), Florida Statutes (1993). 9. Based on the…incident gave rise to separate claims. Fla. Stat. § 766.209(4)(a). The Bombaliers appeal from this order contending…arbitrate shall be subject to the provisions of s. 766.209(4)." (emphasis added). This section of the…recover at trial by statute. Similarly, section 766.209(4)(a), Florida Statutes (1993), provides that,

Cohen v. DeYoung

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1995-06-02T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 655 So. 2d 1265

Snippet: damages cap set forth in sections 766.207 and 766.209, Florida Statutes. DeYoung asserted that Cohen … Legislature, pursuant to sections 766.206 and 766.209, Fla.Statutes. The statutory limitation in this