‘I will punish you’ | Tensions rise with Georgia lawsuit reform bill

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Tensions are rising with threatening language toward businesses as Georgia’s major lawsuit reform bill rounds out public hearings in a House of Representatives subcommittee.

“We heard testimonies from business owners scared that there would be backlash,” Mike Iverson, an independent insurance commercial agent, said.

“There were things posted last night on Facebook and elsewhere - direct threats to any business that a trial attorney sees participating or supporting tort reform... This is not good for Georgia,” Iverson said.

One example is a story post on Facebook from a personal injury attorney, who said: “I cannot wait to sue businesses who blindly support tort reform. Not only will I give you a lesson on how insurance works, but I will punish you for your pathetic attempt to put profits over people … Welcome to the show.”

Senate Bill 68, part of Gov. Brian Kemp’s lawsuit reform package, is aimed at helping keep businesses in the state by lowering the risk of massive insurance payouts in court when people sue under liability laws.

Lawmakers are feeling the pressure as well. A senior Kemp advisor said in a podcast in February they would fund campaigns for opponents of lawmakers who did not support this bill.

Gov. Kemp wrote a letter to the subcommittee last week with the goal of clarifying “misinformation.”

“I look forward to the subcommittee’s passage of this important, fair, and transparent legislation for the benefit of all Georgians,” Kemp said.

Atlanta News First Investigates has reached out to the personal injury attorney who made the social media post, but have not heard back.

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