Jan 30, 2025 · ATLANTA – Today Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, Commissioner John King and leaders from industries across Georgia, unveiled his tort reform package that levels the playing field in our courtrooms, bans hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings, aims to stabilize …

3 days ago · The Georgia General Assembly convened on January 13, 2025, marking the start of what is expected to be a pivotal year for tort reform in the state. With Governor Brian Kemp and legislative leaders ...

Jan 14, 2025 · Legislative Democrats and their allies in the trial lawyers’ lobby have warned tort reform threatens to rob Georgians hurt by medical malpractice or defective products of their day in court. Lawmakers passed a bill last year aimed at laying …

Jan 31, 2025 · Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has introduced a tort reform package aimed at changing how lawsuits are handled in the state. Kemp believes that excessive civil litigation is causing insurance premiums to ...

Jan 30, 2025 · The tort reform legislation the governor is proposing is based on a report the state insurance department released last fall that showed the five-year average of claims has increased by 25%, much faster than Georgia’s population growth. The number of large claim awards of more than $1 million also has grown steadily.

Jan 30, 2025 · The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, which lobbies against tort reform, disputes King’s conclusions. Risk consultant David Stegall said the number of claims is in line with Georgia’s high number of car accidents. Both claims and payouts have mostly been stable or falling, especially when adjusted for population growth and inflation, he said.

Jan 30, 2025 · But they say Georgia needs insurance reform, not tort reform. “Insurance companies are making billions of dollars of profit in Georgia and nationwide, and they are threatening to leave the state if they don’t make as much profit as they want,” says McLaurin, the Democratic senator and a lawyer who handles civil litigation.

Jan 31, 2025 · They often cite a 2024 American Tort Reform Foundation ranking that listed Georgia as one of the top five “judicial hellholes” in the country. A recent report from Insurance Commissioner John King echoed those findings, arguing that an increase in claims and large jury verdicts was resulting in higher insurance rates for Georgia businesses.

Aug 12, 2024 · Tort reform has been a goal of Georgia Republicans and their allies in the business community for decades. But the most significant reform legislation to make it through the General Assembly came way back in 2005, a bill that imposed a $350,000 cap on non-economic damage awards in medical malpractice and product liability lawsuits.

Feb 13, 2024 · ATLANTA | Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones’s tort reform priority, Senate Bill 426, passed the Senate. SB 426 is legislation aimed at limiting the ability of plaintiffs to sue motor carriers and their insurers simultaneously (so-called “direct action”).

Governor Kemp has made tort reform a key focus of his 2025 legislative agenda, declaring it his number one priority for this session. While it has been widely speculated that changes were coming, the specific details remained unknown—until this week.

5 days ago · The tort reform measures (Senate bills 68 and 69) were introduced by Republican state Sen. John Kennedy, a career lawyer, and sponsored by two dozen other senators.

Jan 27, 2025 · ATLANTA - The signs are clear as Georgia lawmakers prepare to resume the 2025 General Assembly session on Monday after a weeklong recess: Gov. Brian Kemp is making tort reform a high priority.

Jan 31, 2025 · Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp unveils his tort reform package on Jan. 30, 2025. (The Center Square) – Gov. Brian Kemp revealed his long-awaited tort reform package that would hold businesses accountable for what they control but limit what are deemed "frivolous lawsuits."

Feb 14, 2024 · Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones presides over the state Senate. ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp announced at the beginning of the 2024 General Assembly session that he would not push for comprehensive tort reform this year. But the state Senate passed legislation Tuesday addressing one aspect of tort reform.

Jan 31, 2025 · Georgia is poised for significant changes in its legal landscape as Governor Brian Kemp introduces a comprehensive tort reform package aimed at addressing rising insurance costs. However, critics ...

5 days ago · “Tort reform” is a nebulous title that means many things to many people. Initiatives have varied state to state, based on each state’s legal climate and costs thereof. With the rollout of Governor Kemp’s legislative framework, we now know specifically what this means for Georgians in 2025.

Legislators will soon begin hearings for Gov. Brian Kemp’s much publicized attempt to reform Georgia’s legal system. For the first time since 2005 – when Republicans gained the majority in the State House for the first time in over a century, giving them full control of the Governor’s office and state legislature – a legislative package in Georgia will seek to address some of the ...

Tort reforms should accomplish the following goals: • Provide a fair and efficient legal system. • Reduce the prevalence of legal abuse and fraudulent claims filed.

Aug 13, 2024 · Georgia Governor Brian Kemp made waves at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Congressional Luncheon in August 2023 when he announced that tort reform would be one of his top priorities during the 2024 session of the General Assembly.

Jan 31, 2025 · “Tort reform” is a nebulous title that means many things to many people. Initiatives have varied state to state, based on each state’s legal climate and costs thereof. With the rollout of Governor Kemp’s legislative framework, we now know specifically what this means for Georgians in 2025.

Jun 13, 2024 · Although neither the judicial system nor the state legislature has been particularly effective in enacting meaningful tort reform, some legislators have recently shown signs of interest, and Gov. Kemp recently called for revisiting Georgia’s civil litigation laws.

Nov 10, 2023 · Georgia lawmakers plan to focus on tort reform when they reconvene in January 2024. Put simply, a tort is a wrongful act that leads to civil liability. Such reforms have been considered for many years, but no lasting legislation has been passed.