Ligman and Moskowitz, PLLC Partner Joe Ligman, is interviewed and quoted by the Sun Sentinel.

Ron Hurtibise reporter for the Sun Sentinel, while writing an extensive investigative article about a Florida law, dealing with the issue of assignment of benefits quoted insurance attorney Joe Ligman.The assignment of benefits law was enacted in 1893 and gives the right of insurance customers to collect legal fees if they sue their insurance company and win the case.

For years courts have consistently upheld assignment rights, and efforts in the Legislature to restrict assignment of benefits laws have died in each of the past four years. A new bill, filed on Feb. 17 by Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Ormond Beach, aims to change the law, to reduce the amount of money insurance companies say they are losing in litigation stemming from water damage claims. The bill was crafted with input from state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.www.citizensfla.com, the state Office of Insurance Regulation, and industry interest groups.The legislative session begins March 7. This bill’s first committee hearing stop will be the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, which is not yet scheduled. An expected House companion bill has not yet been filed.

The bill is designed to prevent attorneys’ from collecting attorney fees from insurance carriers when insureds prevail when they must sue their own carrier to receive the benefits that they paid for through insurance premiums.Joe Ligman, of Ligman and Moskowitz, PLLC www.ligmanmoskowitz.com an attorney who has filed more than 1,200 law suits against the top 25 insurers since 2010, predicted a law preventing assignees from collecting attorney’s fees “would be an unconstitutional denial of equal protection” that would result in contractors avoiding emergency measures to protect homeowners’ properties.