Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King discusses new tort reform law at DeKalb County town hall

DEKALB COUNTY, GA— Greater Georgia Action, Inc. launched its statewide education tour on Wednesday, April 15, with a town hall meeting featuring Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King. The event focused on Georgia’s newly passed  Senate Bill 68, tort reform law, which aims to limit excessive lawsuits and create  more balanced litigation in the state’s courts.   

King provided an overview of the new law, expected to be signed on  Monday, April 21, by Gov. Brian Kemp. King says the new law is greatly needed to rein in “phantom lawsuit damages”– legal awards based on inflated medical bills. The goal, he said, is to foster a more balanced legal environment and ultimately reduce insurance costs for Georgia consumers. 

Opponents contend the bill will limit access to justice for victims of negligence and wrongdoing and argue that there is no guarantee insurance rates would be lowered.

Stonecrest City Councilman Terry Fye moderated the meeting, which was held at DeKalb County’s Lou Walker Senior Center in the city of Stonecrest. The meeting drew a diverse crowd of entrepreneurs, civic leaders and residents from DeKalb and Rockdale counties. 

“This was not easy getting SB 68 passed,” said King, referencing hurdles involved in advancing the landmark bill. 

King said there was a real problem with companies—both domestic and foreign—investing in high dollar lawsuits. They front money to plaintiffs and attorneys, then seek enormous damage awards in court, he said. 

Under the new law, attorneys must disclose any third-party financial interests in their cases—an effort to enhance transparency and reduce the influence of litigation funding companies. While plaintiffs may still seek damages for pain and suffering, King emphasized that the reforms aim to restore fairness in the judicial process.

 “We wanted to put some rules in place so that both sides (businesses and individuals) would have a reasonable chance in court,” said King. “Right now, some Insurance companies don’t want to cover businesses in South DeKalb because of all of the lawsuits and that’s unfair.”  

King stressed that his advocacy was driven not by the insurance industry, but by Georgia’s small business owners.  

“It was the small business owners, the convenience stores and others. We were headed in a bad direction,” King said.

The town hall sparked praise from local residents and community leaders.

Faye Coffield, a community activist who lives in Stonecrest, applauded King for explaining the need for the new tort reform law. 

“Up close and personal events like this with elected officials are very much needed in the South DeKalb community,” said Coffield.“Commissioner King did an exceptional job of explaining the need for the new tort reform and answering questions the audience had.”

Diane Adoma, a consultant and former Stonecrest City Council member, agreed.

“We are thankful to Commissioner King for talking about these issues for consumers and job creators alike,” said Adoma. “As a black small business owner, I applaud the efforts taken to help folks who sign the front of checks as well as those who sign the back of them.”

Stacey J. Johnson, an educator who attended the event, highlighted the bipartisan spirit of the initiative.

 “It was truly encouraging to see such a strong bipartisan effort come together to address the vital changes to Georgia’s tort laws and Governor Kemp’s reform plans. This event exemplifies how collaboration across party lines can lead to meaningful discussions about the future of our state,” said Johnson.

Greater Georgia is focused on promoting common-sense values by engaging communities, registering voters, and ensuring the success of policies that create opportunity across the state.

For more information about Greater Georgia, visit website, https://www.greatergeorgia.com/.