Michael Clarke, Jennifer Emerson, and Joye Walford of our Tampa office, obtained the reversal of a Final Judgment in Progressive Select Insurance Company v. The Imaging Center of West Palm Beach aao Erica Prete, No. 4D21-3074 (4th DCA March 8, 2023). The Fourth District found that the trial court erred in denying the Insurer leave to amend its Answer and Affirmative Defenses. The Insurer sought to add new affirmative defenses including the invalidity of a pre-suit demand letter and the exhaustion of benefits.The amendments were essential as the Plaintiff had raised a new argument supporting its cause of action after a change in governing law in its favor. The Fourth District found that the trial court appeared to have denied the motion to amend on the basis that it was untimely but failed to consider that the Plaintiff had not been prejudiced by the proposed amendments and could prepare for the additional affirmative defenses. This was particularly true as the motion to amend had been filed before any summary judgment hearing or trial date had been set.