Social media is everywhere and used by a majority of the population. Recent studies indicate that more users are not only accessing Facebook more frequently, but also that they are using it primarily on their mobile telephones. Part of this drive is due to Facebook features, such as the live video feed, that allows users […]
As part of the Georgia Tort Reform package in 2005, the legislature passed a settlement procedure statute meant to put some teeth into settlement negotiations. Now O.C.G.A. § 9-11-68, (a/k/a Rule 68 – Offer of Settlement), allows either party in a tort case to serve the other party with a written offer to settle, so long […]
Reviewing medical records and billing statements are a routine practice throughout pre-suit and the litigation process. With the rise of third party billing entities, it has become common place to receive a statement that was issued from an entity other than the one that rendered treatment. If the charges seem disproportionate to the treatment rendered […]
While these cases fact patterns are not typical liability or insurance defense cases, they demonstrate that the apportionment statute has been held to apply to a wide range of cases and situations and is the law in Georgia with respect to fault and/or damages. Alston & Bird LLP v. Hatcher Management Holdings, LLC, A15A1677 (Ga. […]
The Center for Disease Control reports that fall injuries are among the 20 most expensive medical conditions with average hospital costs of $35,000.00. The wide and innumerable factual scenarios presented in trip, slip and fall incidents have blurred the line of conduct that creates legal liability for a premises owner or occupier. While property owners […]
In the recent case of Scully v. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, 332 Ga. App. 873, 775 S.E.2d 230 (2015) (Cert. Denied) David C. Scully, a student at Georgia Tech, brought suit against the University System of Georgia after he was injured while visiting a friend that attended the University […]
The Supreme Court of Georgia in the recent opinion Walker v. Tensor Mach. Ltd., No. S15Q1222, 2015 WL 7135149, (Ga. Nov. 16, 2015), continued to expand the apportionment law, this time to nonparty employers with immunity under the Workers’ Compensation Act. The question certified to the court was whether or not the Georgia Apportionment Statute […]
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, a jury may apportion a percentage of fault to any person or entity who contributed to the complainant’s alleged damages, regardless if the person or entity was a party to the litigation. It is, however, the defendant’s burden to establish a rational basis for apportioning fault to a non-party, and […]
Georgia remains one of the top 10 states in the nation for dog bites and other dog-related injury claims, according to the Insurance Information Institute. In 2014, homeowner’s insurance policies paid out $12.2 million for dog-related injury claims in Georgia with an average cost per claim of $31,497. Nationwide, man’s best friend accounted for more […]
Perhaps nothing can be more disheartening than a court finding a defendant responsible for spoliation of evidence. This is because a finding of spoliation gives rise to a rebuttable presumption that the subject evidence was harmful to the spoliator. Thus, even a very innocent error in safeguarding potential evidence can be fatal to an otherwise […]