Another Brick in the Wall: An Empirical Look at Georgia Tort Litigation in the 1990s

Abstract

It has been four years since we prepared our first profile of tort litigation in Georgia.

It is against this backdrop that we undertook to update and expand upon our original research. We have updated our study by collecting data from tort cases filed in the superior courts of Bibb, Gwinnett, Irwin, and Oconee counties between 1994 and 1997. Thus, for these four counties we now have data regarding the filing and disposition of tort cases for an eight-year period. We also have collected data from tort cases filed in Cobb and Fulton County superior courts between 1994 and 1997. Finally, we have collected data from state court tort filings in Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties. This is the first time a study has included state court filings.

Keywords: tort law, Georgia, tort rform, litigation, personal injury, awards, remedies, disposition, settlement, verdict

JEL Classification: K13