(The Center Square) – Georgia’s tort reform law has earned the state a “Tort Reform Trailblazer” recognition less than a year after it was called a “Judicial Hellhole.”
The American Tort Reform Association said Tuesday the law championed by Gov. Brian Kemp is a “model for the nation.”
“Gov. Kemp exhibited bold leadership this year by working with lawmakers to tackle abusive litigation practices and increase transparency,” said Tiger Joyce, president of the association. “Georgia is sending a clear message that it is open for business and committed to protecting both its citizens and job creators.”
Senate Bill 68 banned three legal procedures that some say inflated jury awards. Phantom damages were based on high medical bills that were never paid instead of actual medical costs. Jury anchoring allowed attorneys to suggest a high award that would “anchor in jurors’ minds” when deciding award amounts. The bill protected businesses from lawsuits involving criminal acts committed by a third party at or near their property.
The bill also allows evidence of seat belt usage in lawsuits involving automobile crashes.
Senate Bill 69 requires transparency in third-party litigation funding.
The American Tort Reform Association named Georgia a “Judicial Hellhole” in December for its large number of verdicts over $10 million.
Nuclear verdicts, as the large verdicts are called, cost Georgians a “tort tax” of $1,372.94 each year, according to the association, which quoted numbers from a Perryman Group study. The study also said 137,658 jobs were lost annually because of the high verdicts.
Kemp held three roundtables on Georgia’s lawsuit landscape in 2025. He threatened lawmakers with a special session in his January State of the State address if they did not pass tort reform. Reforming the system would drive down Georgia’s insurance costs, Kemp said.
Detractors said there was no evidence that it would lower insurance premiums.
Others were afraid the bills would affect claims brought by victims of sex trafficking and rape. The bill was amended to exempt human trafficking victims’ claims.
