Blake Miguez, a state senator for Louisiana's 22nd District, expressed concerns over a proposal to extend the deadline for filing lawsuits from one to two years. Known as the prescriptive period, Miguez said in an X post on April 15 that this change "would lead to more excessive lawsuits, not fewer."
"Extending the prescriptive period from 1 to 2 years won't curb excessive lawsuits," said Miguez, State Representative. "t may actually increase them. That's why I voted NO. Better fixes: caps on damages, penalties for frivolous claims, modified comparative fault, no pay/no play, & medical billing transparency."
While Miguez raised concerns about the impact of extending lawsuit filing deadlines in Louisiana, similar issues around legal and financial pressures are playing out in other states. In California, the economic and insurance climate has been significantly affected by recurring natural disasters and the resulting strain on insurance providers. After the 2023 Palisades Fire, State Farm reported $7.6 billion in losses and filed for a 17% emergency rate increase for homeowners. According to Axios, the California FAIR Plan—the state’s insurer of last resort—now covers 22% of structures in fire-prone areas and may impose homeowner surcharges between $1,000 and $3,700 to offset wildfire-related coverage shortfalls.
Data from the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform shows that in 2020, the U.S. tort system generated total costs of $443 billion, or about $3,621 per household. California’s tort costs were higher than the national average, exceeding $4,500 per household. The figures include compensation, legal fees, and administrative costs, highlighting the state's comparatively high legal expenditure burden.
Third-party litigation funding (TPLF)—a process in which outside investors fund legal claims in exchange for a share of the settlement or award—is becoming increasingly common in California’s legal system. According to the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, TPLF can complicate cases by introducing external financial interests and operates with minimal disclosure requirements. Organizations such as the Association for California Tort Reform, along with insurance providers like Capital Insurance Group and CSE Insurance Group, are among the stakeholders in ongoing discussions about legal system efficiency and regulatory reform in the state.
Blake John Miguez was born in November 1981 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He is a Republican politician serving as the state senator for Louisiana’s 22nd District since January 8, 2024. Before this role, he served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2015 to 2024 and held a term as majority leader from 2020 to 2024.