ATLANTA — The ability of people to sue insurance companies directly after trucking crashes would be limited under a bill receiving final passage in the Georgia legislature.
The House voted 172-0 on Monday to pass Senate Bill 426, sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.
The measure says someone could only sue an insurance company directly if the trucking company involved has gone bankrupt or when the plaintiff can’t find the company or the driver.
Supporters say the change would result in lower insurance rates for truckers, arguing current rates inhibit trucking companies’ ability to do business.
House Majority Whip James Burchett, a Waycross Republican, said Monday that it was a balancing act between business groups and lawyers. Several Democrats also spoke to praise the bill. Rep. Teddy Reese, a Columbus Democrat, called it ”a great compromise that lawyers like myself are happy with and can work with.”
Kemp has said he wants to make it harder for people to file lawsuits and win big legal judgments. He has said Georgia’s high insurance rates are among the harms caused by such lawsuits. But Kemp said he would pause his effort until the 2025 legislative session in order to gather more information.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
Oh Boy doesn’t that bill just stink to high heaven.
Were required to buy their overpriced insurance coverage but we can’t use that coverage to protect us and our investments..
As usual the rats we elect to protect us are instead looking out for the interests of the billion dollar companies. They should all be ashamed.