Governor Kemp’s “Tort Reform”: A Bad Deal That Benefits Corporations and Hurts People
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently stated that his “tort reform” package “levels the playing field in our courtrooms, bans hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings, aims to stabilize insurance costs for businesses and consumers, increases transparency and fairness, and ensures Georgia continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
In reality, “tort reform” does none of those things.
Among the changes to the current laws, the “tort reform” bill will:
- Prevent people and attorneys from discussing the value of “pain and suffering” damages at trial.
- Allow defendants an unlimited stay of discovery if they file a motion to dismiss, creating a backlog in the courts and enabling frivolous insurance company litigation tactics.
- Make it harder for people to dismiss claims.
- Prevent people who win their case from recovering different elements of attorney’s fees from at-fault defendants.
- Require people to prove they were wearing a seatbelt before they can recover for auto claims.
- Grant civil immunity to slumlord property owners, sex traffickers, and security companies, preventing lawsuits for inadequate security on their properties.
- Reduce past medical bills to the amounts insurance companies pay rather than the actual billed amount from doctors.
- Allow insurance defense lawyers to force separate trials for fault and damages, increasing trial time and costs.
- Exclude any requirement for insurance companies to lower premiums, despite record-breaking profits in Georgia.
The measures proposed won’t lower insurance premiums or curb “frivolous lawsuits”—they will only further increase the record-breaking profits of insurance companies at the expense of innocent Georgians, making it increasingly more difficult for injured everyday people to obtain justice.
The legal and Constitutional rights of every citizen in this state should not be limited or infringed upon—and wrongdoers should not skirt responsibility and accountability for their actions just so insurance companies can add more money to their record-breaking profits.
“Tort reform” is a far-reaching bill that tramples the rights of everyday Georgians and makes it incredibly difficult for them to get access to justice when they are harmed by the wrongdoing of others.
Call or email your state representative and demand that they vote NO on “tort reform.”
Don’t let them give away your rights to big insurance companies!
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