The Florida state judge handling litigation over the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse said Tuesday he would order insurers for the victims and condo association to attend mediation on their claims against the builders of a neighboring tower unless the insurers waive potential claims against them. Eleventh Circuit Court Judge Michael A. Hanzman agreed to the provision for the April 27 and 28 mediation after initially expressing skepticism during a Zoom hearing he called to question the request from defendants 8701 Collins Development LLC, Terra Group LLC, Terra World Investments LLC and John Moriarty & Associates of Florida Inc. “Have they asserted subrogation claims or is there some reason I’m ordering insurers who have already tendered their policy limits to now be attending a mediation

A Florida appeals court stood by its own precedent Wednesday in finding that the widow of a mesothelioma victim cannot recover damages for pain and suffering as a “surviving spouse” under the state’s Wrongful Death Act because their marriage followed the victim’s injury but ruled that his two surviving children can, under the circumstances. The ruling from the Fourth District affirmed a Broward County trial court’s granting of a judgment on the pleadings as to the widow, Jennifer Ripple, in favor of the defendants, who include corporate heavyweights CBS Corp., General Electric Co., The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and several other manufacturers of products that contained asbestos that allegedly caused Richard D. Counter’s illness and death. However, the appellate panel also found the trial