SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DOCTORS’ DEADLINE TO FILE NO-FAULT AUTO CLAIMS

A State Farm customer and his doctor, who challenged a 30-day deadline for doctors to file claims on a patient’s no-fault auto policy, have lost their claim in the Florida Supreme Court. They challenged the deadline, arguing it violated the constitutional rights of health care providers to equal protection, due process and access to the courts.

In 1998, lawmakers added a provision to Florida’s no-fault insurance law establishing a 30-day deadline for doctors and health care providers to file claims. Hospitals were exempt. The Tallahassee Democrat reported the Florida Supreme Court’s unsigned opinion rejecting those claims and agreeing with the 5th District Court of Appeal that the law was constitutional. The verdict said the statute is not discriminatory, arbitrary or oppressive.