Gov. Brian Kemp will make tort reform a top priority for next year’s legislative session, he told business leaders at a Georgia Chamber of Commerce function in Athens on Tuesday.
While Kemp and other officials didn’t offer much in the way of specifics about future legislation, they said so-called “runaway” jury verdicts were driving up the cost of insurance for businesses, particularly doctors and trucking companies. The American Tort Reform Foundation, a nonprofit bankrolled by major corporations, named Georgia the country’s top “judicial hellhole” last year.
“The laws on our books make it too easy to bring frivolous lawsuits against Georgia business owners, which drive up the price of insurance and stop new, good-paying jobs from ever coming to communities that need them the most,” Kemp told about 1,000 attendees at the chamber’s Congressional Luncheon at the Classic Center.
Just after Republicans took full control of state government in 2005, they passed tort reform legislation that capped punitive damages, but the state Supreme Court declared those caps unconstitutional in 2010.
The main problem, according to Insurance Commissioner John King, is that Georgia is one of only four states where plaintiffs can sue the insurance company first, which drives up costs and reduces competition. “It’s crushing small companies,” he said.
Chris Clark, the Georgia Chamber’s executive director, said the new legislation won’t necessarily include caps on damages. “You want people to get a fair shake,” he said, adding that any changes will likely be “incremental.”
Sen. Jon Ossoff—whom Kemp is widely rumored to be challenging in 2026—also spoke at the luncheon. Asked about tort reform during a press conference prior to Kemp’s speech, Ossoff said he supports “striking the right balance” between the right to seek redress in the court system and the costs borne by businesses as a result of litigation.
Despite sparring in the past over the role of the federal bipartisan infrastructure law in drawing electric vehicle and battery plants like Rivian, Hyundai and SK to Georgia, both Kemp and Ossoff struck a bipartisan tone at the chamber event. “Economic development is a team sport, and there is plenty of credit to go around,” Ossoff said. He ticked off several examples of his work on behalf of Georgians, like convincing India to lower tariffs on Georgia pecans.
“From my perspective, the level of political polarization and division and hatred in this country is one of, if not the most significant threats to our shared national future,” Ossoff said. “We have got to stop seeing the world as a winner-take-all scorched-earth battle for political control. We are all on Team USA.”
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
