Insurance and tort reform groups have launched a campaign to warn consumers about the explosive growth in auto glass litigation in Florida  – a phenomenon that some observers say contributes to rising claims costs and insurance policy rates.

The campaign, called “Fix the Cracks,” was launched by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Florida Justice Reform Institute and Personal Insurance Federation of Florida (PIFF).

The initiative aims to warn drivers of increasingly aggressive attempts by vendors to get drivers to sign over their car insurance benefits in return for windshield repairs and other incentives, such as gift cards. Vendors working with attorneys can then file inflated claims with the car insurer and take advantage of the state’s one-way attorney fee laws – a process that drives up the cost of insurance, those involved in “Fix the Cracks” say.