Georgia lawmakers have approved new legislation to protect some businesses from facing lawsuits but stopped short on a measure aimed at curbing personal injury cases.
Measures approved during the 2024 legislative session include bills to shield boat rental companies and marinas from liability for accidents caused by reckless vessel operators and to protect insurers from being sued directly in big-rig crashes.
A proposal to safeguard property owners from liability in cases involving crime committed on their properties stalled in the Senate, but could return next year.
After vowing in August to support new laws aimed at reducing insurance premiums and reining in what he called “frivolous lawsuits” and large jury awards, Gov. Brian Kemp signaled in January that the effort would extend beyond 2024.
Kemp has until May 7 to sign into law or veto bills. Here’s what passed and what’s to come.
Protection for boat rental companies
House Bill 994 sailed through both chambers, eliciting just two opposing votes.
It protects boat rental businesses from liability for injuries or damages caused by the negligence of vessel operators. Exceptions apply, in case a rental company leases a boat that’s not fit for use or to someone deemed unsafe.
Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, the bill’s main sponsor, said during a Feb. 21 House debate that Georgia’s boat rental businesses and marinas risk of going under if liable for the acts of operators.
“You would think that those people, the operators who lease the boat, would be liable for their own errors if there’s a tort or something that happens,” Powell said. “But no, the owner of the boat is the one that bears full responsibility.”
Powell said Georgia is one of three states that impose liability on boat rental services for operator error.
Under the bill, boat rental businesses are required to carry insurance and remain responsible for any problem they directly cause.
“They’ve got to check out the operator to make sure they…
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