Speaker Burns on new tort reform package: 'We must restore balance to Georgia’s legal system'

Jon Burns, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, announced that Governor Brian Kemp introduced a tort reform package aimed at promoting fairness in Georgia's legal system. The initiative seeks to prevent foreign exploitation and stabilize insurance costs. This announcement was made in a press release on January 30.

"For an unprecedented eleven consecutive years, Georgia has been named the Number One Place to do Business," said Burns, according to Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. "Our current legal environment is in need of common-sense reform. The House is looking forward to working alongside Governor Kemp."

According to the press release, Governor Kemp's tort reform package addresses various issues within the legal system. These include premises liability, phantom damages, anchoring tactics, bifurcated trials, admissible seatbelt evidence, attorney fee double recovery, venue shopping, and third-party litigation funding (TPLF) transparency. The package also aims to ban foreign adversaries from exploiting Georgia’s courts.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform reports that TPLF is a multibillion-dollar industry operating in secrecy. It is said to drive up litigation costs, prolong cases, and reduce plaintiffs’ recoveries. U.S. policymakers are advocating for greater transparency and restrictions on TPLF through new federal legislation and recent state-level reforms in Montana, Indiana, Louisiana, and West Virginia.

According to their website, in 2022 Georgia was ranked No. 1 on the Judicial Hellholes list by the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA). The ranking cites excessive nuclear verdicts, liability-expanding rulings, and rampant TPLF as factors leading to decisions by the Georgia Supreme Court increasingly favoring plaintiffs. This has resulted in businesses being held liable for damages beyond their control. Consequently, this legal climate has driven up insurance costs and encouraged litigation tourism.

Burns has served in the Georgia House since 2004 and became Speaker in 2023. A former House Majority Leader from Newington, he primarily focuses on education, healthcare, public safety, and economic growth.