The Florida Senate has passed a law that will repeal the state’s 2 year statute of limitations for filing a wrongful death lawsuit. The bill, known as the Klee Act (HB 1), received a unanimous vote of approval on April 22 during a vote in the Florida Senate. The bill will now move on to Gov. Charlie Crist, whom experts expect will sign the bill into law.
Florida’s current statute of limitations imposes a 2 year limit-from the date of death-in most wrongful death cases. The Klee Act does not affect past cases; only those deaths that occur after the act is signed into law.
The Sun Sentinel reports that the Klee Act is named for Jeffrey Klee, an 18-year-old Broward County man who disappeared mysteriously in 1977 and whose body was discovered in 2008 in a van in a canal near Riverside Park. Klee’s family was instrumental in getting the new law taken into consideration.
The new Florida statute of limitations law will allow families and qualified plaintiffs to file wrongful death lawsuits in similar cases, such as an unsolved murder case or other circumstances in which the discovery of the death (or cause of death) is not made until after the 2 year mark has passed.
If you have lost a family member or loved one in a Florida accident or because of someone else’s criminal or negligent acts, and you are concerned about time limits and what this new law may mean for your family’s potential wrongful death lawsuit, a wrongful death attorney in Central Florida can talk to you about your case and potential claim.
A Florida wrongful death attorney at Lilly, O’Toole & Brown can help you sort through the often overwhelming issues that may present themselves in the course of a wrongful death claim. We are committed to protecting your best interests and helping you collect the damages you and your family need and deserve to move on with your lives. Contact our firm today to schedule your consultation; (863) 533-5525.
