State Arbitration Tilts Insurance Disputes

Florida lawmakers let Citizens Property Insurance route most homeowner disputes to a state administrative forum instead of court, with judges whose salaries it funds. Citizens has sent 1,500+ cases to this mandatory arbitration and wins over 90% of final hearings there, compared with just over half in court. Homeowners lose jury trials and have limited avenues to appeal; a Tampa judge has twice paused the process amid legal concerns. — It shows how state‑designed arbitration can hollow out due process and skew outcomes, a template other states under insurance stress might copy.