Even as Kemp held events to build public support ahead of the legislative session, which begins Monday, the Republican governor is having to contend with GOP lawyers in the General Assembly who make a living by filing lawsuits, Democrats who mostly oppose changes, and a state Supreme Court that has voided earlier limits.
Kemp in 2022 promised the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, one of his top allies, that he would seek to limit lawsuit costs, a push that many call “tort reform.” But he admitted in 2023 that the effort was complicated, and instead signed a law to gather data on lawsuit verdicts.
Why Georgia's latest push to curb lawsuits has business groups and trial lawyers at odds After years of stalled efforts to limit civil lawsuits, Georgia Gov.
Supporters, most prominently business groups, call the state a “judicial hellhole,” and argue that businesses are being crushed by rising insurance costs driven by excessive lawsuits that have helped plaintiffs get big payouts.
But opponents say there's no proof that lawsuits are closely linked to rising insurance rates and that limits will make it harder for injured parties to win justice in court.
