Georgia House passes sound lawfare liability and tort reforms to save costs for consumers
ATLANTA,GA – Earlier today, the Georgia House of Representatives passed SB68, a civil justice reform bill to modernize liability standards for firms and help save costs for consumers by cutting down on frivolous lawsuits that raise prices for firms and businesses that serve them.
The bill caps non-economic damages in civil trials, adjusts liability standards for responsible establishments, and limits medical cost awards to “reasonable and necessary” amounts to keep price inflation in check.
The bill will now be reconciled with the Senate version before it is sent to Governor Brian Kemp, who has championed the law.
The Consumer Choice Center (CCC), a nonpartisan consumer advocacy group and think tank, applauded state legislators for enacting tort and liability reforms that will bring more certainty to innovators while reserving liability courts for consumers are who legitimately harmed.
“Every consumer pays the cost of unjustified litigation, whether they know it or not. Georgia’s novel attempt at reforming the civil justice system will help keep companies accountable while safeguarding the court process for consumers and victims who have been harmed,” said Yaël Ossowski, deputy director at the Consumer Choice Center.
“Exaggerated liability claims pursued by crafty attorneys creates massive price inflation for firms and insurers and deprives those who are legitimately injured from seeking adequate and timely justice,” he added. “A less costly and inflationary legal system for responsible entrepreneurs and innovators who follow the law will allow consumers to benefit from less litigious system that remains responsive to actual harms.”
This week, the Consumer Choice Center published a policy primer analyzing similar tort and liability reforms passed in Florida in 2023 that have shown positive impacts by lowering costs for consumers by creating a more stable environment for small businesses.
READ THE PRIMER HERE
The CCC represents consumers in over 100 countries across the globe. We closely monitor regulatory trends in state and national capitals, as well as other hotspots of regulation, and inform and activate consumers to fight for #ConsumerChoice.
