evidence: But for homeowners in Florida who have mortgages and are required to carry insurance, there's little recourse except to cover the steep increases. There are reports that because of the high insurance costs, some are being forced to leave the state. In many places, including California, Colorado and Louisiana, there's been a steep rise in the cost of homeowners' insurance. But it's particularly staggering in Florida, a state that already has the highest insurance costs in the nation. Many Floridians have seen insurance premiums go up by more than 40% this year. [...] The cost of homeowners' insurance in Florida is more than three-and-a-half times the national average. There are lots of reasons — among them, the three hurricanes that battered the state in the last two years. But policymakers and the insurance industry say excessive litigation has played a major role in driving up prices.