Georgia is No. 1 on List of ‘Judicial Hellholes’

December 12, 2022 Last Edit: March 19, 2026

Georgia is No. 1 on List of ‘Judicial Hellholes’

NFIB State Director Hunter Loggins says Georgia’s rise to No. 1 in the American Tort Reform Foundation’s annual “Judicial Hellholes” report indicates the need for tort reform in the state: “Georgia’s legal climate has steadily worsened over the years, and that’s bad news for small businesses,” he said. “Small businesses don’t have the resources to defend themselves against whimsical nuisance claims and bogus accusations. A small business may have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to defend itself in court. Inflation has driven up the cost of everything from shipping to shopping bags, so even if the judge throws the case out of court, just one frivolous lawsuit can be enough to put a small business out of business. “Our hope is that the General Assembly takes the American Tort Reform Foundation’s assessment seriously and passes long-overdue tort reform legislation in next year’s legislative session,” he said. The foundation’s report says: “The litigation climate in Georgia has deteriorated for years and in 2022 it reached fever pitch. Georgia replaced California on the top of this year’s list thanks in no small part to a massive $1.7 billion nuclear verdict that can charitably be called concerning. Georgia state courts issue some of the country’s largest nuclear verdicts in state and superior courts, as personal injury lawyers cash in on plaintiff-friendly judges that benefit greatly from trial lawyer campaign contributions.” Click here to read the report.

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Georgia

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