NFIB State Director Hunter Loggins said the state’s leading small business advocacy organization is key-voting Senate Bill 186, legislation that would protect owners from liability if illegal acts occur on their property. SB 186 could come up for a vote in the Senate as early as today.
“Premises liability is a big concern for Georgia’s small businesses,” Loggins said. “The courts have awarded tens of millions of dollars against property owners and businesses for crimes committed by criminals on or even just outside their property.
“If something happens in the parking lot or a crime occurs while someone is trespassing on a business’s land, the business owner and property owner could become victims of lawsuits attempting to hold them liable,” he said. “Any property owner risks being the target of a frivolous lawsuit, but small business owners are especially vulnerable. They do not have the time or money to defend themselves in a protracted legal case. The cost of defending itself against just one claim could be enough to put a small business out of business, even if the case is eventually thrown out of court.
“That’s why we need the Senate to vote ‘yes’ on SB 186,” Loggins said. “By ‘key-voting’ SB 186, we’re reminding lawmakers that small business supports premises liability reform and that we’ll report each and every vote on this bill to our members, their constituents.”
