Florida Litigation
Records Index
(Florida Availability)
Records are accessed
on a county-by-county basis. The period of time covered is typically ten
years. Information returned includes: case number, nature of
involvement, type of case, (dissolution of marriage, negligence,
contracts, etc.), the name of the other party or parties involved, and
where available, the disposition.
Litigation
records might be the most valuable
source
of information you’ll ever find, and can provide
leads to important records that you won’t
get anywhere else!
If
you investigate casualty claims you’ll want to know about previous
accidents, injuries and medical history. Checks of
traffic accident records, workers comp records and
driving records only tell part of the story.
Consider these case types. All are covered in a
search of county litigation records.
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Assault
- If the subject was the plaintiff the case could
be a source of information on other injuries. If
the defendant in the case it might be of interest
to know the subject was capable of
assault?
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Auto
Negligence - If the
subject was the plaintiff you’ll definitely want
to review the file. Even if your subject was the
defendant, if the accident was serious enough he
or she could have been injured.
Interrogatories, depositions and other
documents filed in the case can also provide
important information.
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Breach
of Insurance Policy - Has the subject sued other
carriers? If payment was withheld you’ll want to
know why.
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Change
of Name - If
a person changes his or her name it must be done
in Circuit Court. Finding another name can lead to
previously unknown information.
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Damages
- Suits can involve allegations of various
physical injuries.
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Declaratory
Actions - Has another carrier made a Motion for
Declaratory Judgment?
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Fraud
- If there is any basis whatsoever for this
allegation, you definitely need to know about
it.
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Medical
Malpractice - Has the subject sued a doctor or
hospital?
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Other
Negligence - These cases usually involve
alleged physical injuries.
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Restraining
Orders - If the subject was the plaintiff
the case could provide information on other
injuries. If the subject was an already allegedly
injured defendant these cases can shed light on
their activities.
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If
you investigate suspicious property claims
and motive becomes an issue, you’ll probably be
interested in the subjects’ financial status. In
addition to all of the above case types, a search of
litigation records will reveal the following kinds of
lawsuits, any of which can shed light on financial
condition.
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Alimony
- Is the subject being pressed for unfulfilled
obligations to a former spouse?
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Breach
of Contract - Has the subject reneged on an
agreement due to financial problems?
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Dissolution
of Marriage - Parties are sometimes required to
divulge detailed financial and asset information
that can be extremely valuable in claims
investigations. Former spouses can also be
excellent sources of background information.
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Evictions
- Has the subject been thrown out due to an
inability to pay rent?
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Money
Owed - Is the subject in arrears on other
financial obligations?
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Mortgage
Foreclosures - Some foreclosure
files contain revealing documentary evidence such as
original mortgage applications containing detailed
financial information.
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Paternity
- Does the subject have hidden responsibilities?
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Support
- Is the subject on record as having failed to fulfill
basic obligations?
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Because
of the potential for revealing critically important
information that could turn a claim completely around, a
check of litigation records
should be mandatory in any serious claims investigation.
This is especially true if the subject denies any
previous injuries or ever having financial
problems, because information contained in litigation
records can remain available for decades.
Which
means if the claim demands a thorough background
investigation, you should not hesitate to have
litigation record searches conducted any place the
subject has resided for as far back into the past as is
reasonable.
Copyright
2005 Factel, Inc.®
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