ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed into legislation tort reform laws Monday afternoon. The governor mentioned it was his highest precedence of the final legislative session.
The governor assembled a crowd of supporters for the general public signing ceremony on the Capitol, saying the state’s new tort reform legislation would soften the impression of expensive lawsuits that he mentioned increase insurance coverage charges and drive out enterprise.
“The requires change got here from each sector from Georgia’s financial system. The established order was merely unacceptable,” Kemp mentioned Monday.
Tort reform makes detailed modifications within the guidelines governing lawsuits.
- It limits jury awards by splitting trials into two phases – one to find out fault, the opposite to find out damages
- It locations tips on how damages are calculated
- It modifications “premises legal responsibility” – limiting when a property proprietor, like a resort, will be sued once they aren’t particularly at fault for an harm.
As lawmakers debated the payments, victims of intercourse crimes and human trafficking held occasions objecting to the invoice letting property homeowners considerably off the hook for poor safety at accommodations and different crime scenes.
The ultimate invoice contained an exception for human trafficking survivors – however not others.
“I’m grateful they obtained the safety. However I don’t perceive why another person who’s sexually assaulted shouldn’t have the identical rights to the justice system,” mentioned state Rep. Shea Roberts (D-Sandy Springs), who was among the many invoice’s no votes.
Tort reform handed the 180-member Home by a one vote margin.
“This was a invoice the general public didn’t ask for,” Roberts mentioned.
However Kemp and different backers mentioned the general public will respect what Kemp predicts will likely be higher stability in rising insurance coverage costs.
“I actually do suppose this was a good and balanced method that basically moved us ahead,” mentioned Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. “We had been beginning to hear from corporations seeking to transfer to Georgia that this was an obstacle, that different states had been utilizing our judicial rankings towards us.”
Roberts predicts that the litigation invoice will find yourself in court docket as the topic of litigation – which might add time and price to getting this invoice on the books.
The invoice took impact upon Kemp’s signature Monday afternoon.
