Georgia's Rigged Courts Are Fixed as Kemp Signs Historic Protection for Families

Georgia’s courtrooms were teetering on the edge of chaos. Small businesses faced crushing lawsuits over incidents they couldn’t control, families grappled with skyrocketing insurance premiums, and foreign actors exploited legal loopholes to undermine local interests. The civil justice system, meant to deliver fairness, had become a playground for trial lawyers chasing inflated payouts. On April 21, 2025, Governor Brian Kemp, flanked by state leaders, signed a historic tort reform package that promises to restore balance and protect Georgians from a legal environment gone wild.

For years, unchecked litigation fueled a crisis. Frivolous lawsuits drove up costs, with Georgia’s tort expenses hitting $20 billion in 2022, or $5,050 per household. Small businesses, the backbone of local communities, bore nearly half of this burden. The state earned a dubious reputation as a 'judicial hellhole,' scaring off investment and stifling job creation. Enough was enough. The new laws, including Senate Bills 68 and 69, tackle these problems head-on, prioritizing hardworking Georgians over those gaming the system.

This isn’t about denying justice to the genuinely injured. It’s about stopping abuse that punishes everyone else. The reforms ensure victims can still seek redress while shielding businesses and consumers from predatory legal tactics. Transparency, fairness, and economic stability are now within reach, thanks to leaders who refused to let Georgia’s future be held hostage by a broken system.

Advocates for the old ways claim these changes tilt the scales against plaintiffs. They argue that limiting how lawyers present damages or tightening rules on premises liability harms victims. But their rhetoric ignores the bigger picture: a legal system that incentivizes exploitation over accountability isn’t serving anyone. Georgia’s reforms strike a balance, protecting the vulnerable while fostering a climate where businesses can thrive and families aren’t crushed by hidden costs.

One of the reform package’s boldest moves is reining in negligent security lawsuits. Property owners were once held liable for incidents beyond their control, like random acts of violence in high-crime areas. The new law clarifies that businesses are only responsible for what they can reasonably manage. This protects employers who open their doors in struggling neighborhoods, creating jobs where they’re needed most. It’s a win for communities and a blow to lawyers fishing for easy payouts.

Another game-changer is the crackdown on 'phantom damages' in personal injury cases. Previously, plaintiffs could flash inflated medical bills to juries, even if insurers paid far less. Senate Bill 68 now requires juries to see both the billed and paid amounts, ensuring awards reflect reality, not manipulation. This transparency stops trial attorneys from inflating claims to pad their fees, which often hit 40% of settlements. Consumers, not lawyers, come out ahead when costs align with actual losses.

The reforms also ban 'anchoring,' where lawyers toss out absurd benchmarks—like a celebrity’s paycheck or the price of a jet—to sway juries on pain and suffering awards. Now, arguments must stick to evidence, empowering juries to make decisions based on facts, not theatrics. Critics whine that this limits plaintiff rights, but juries still have full freedom to award damages. The only thing restricted is deception.

Perhaps the most forward-thinking aspect of the legislation is its ban on hostile foreign powers exploiting Georgia’s courts. Senate Bill 69 blocks foreign entities from funding lawsuits to steal trade secrets or push political agendas. This isn’t hypothetical—third-party litigation funding has surged, with some foreign actors bankrolling cases to destabilize American businesses. Georgia’s reforms slam the door on these schemes, safeguarding local companies and national security.

The law also cracks down on predatory lenders who exploit vulnerable plaintiffs, ensuring litigants keep control of their cases and aren’t fleeced by financiers. Transparency rules now require all parties to know who’s funding a lawsuit, stripping away the secrecy that fuels abuse. Those who defend unchecked litigation funding often claim it helps the underdog, but they gloss over how it inflates costs and prolongs cases, hurting the very people they claim to protect.

Georgia’s tort reforms deliver tangible relief. By curbing frivolous lawsuits, the laws are expected to stabilize insurance premiums, which spiked 21% for auto coverage in 2024 due to runaway litigation. Lower premiums mean families keep more of their hard-earned money, and businesses can invest in growth rather than legal defenses. The reforms also make Georgia more attractive to investors, who’ve shied away from states with unpredictable legal climates.

Historical waves of tort reform, like California’s 1975 Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act, show that curbing excesses can reduce costs without sacrificing justice. Georgia’s approach builds on these lessons, targeting abuses while preserving victims’ rights to fair compensation. Opponents argue that reforms favor insurers, but they can’t deny the data: tort costs were draining $529 billion from the U.S. economy in 2022, with small businesses and consumers footing the bill. Georgia’s leaders chose to act before the damage worsened.

Governor Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, and Speaker Jon Burns deserve credit for steering Georgia toward a fairer, more prosperous future. Their leadership turned a complex issue into a clear victory for families, businesses, and communities. The reforms don’t just fix a broken system—they set a standard for other states grappling with litigation overload. As tort costs threaten to hit $1 trillion nationwide by 2030, Georgia’s blueprint offers hope for a balanced approach.

The naysayers will keep pushing their narrative, claiming these laws shortchange victims. But their arguments crumble under scrutiny. Georgia’s reforms protect the injured while dismantling a system that enriched a few at the expense of many. This is what leadership looks like: prioritizing the common good over special interests. The Peach State is stronger for it, and its people will feel the benefits for years to come.