Georgia Court of Appeals News

Work Comp Defense Attorneys Worry Ga. Courts Becoming Too Worker Friendly

After three major Georgia appeals court decisions have gone against employers in the last five years, some insurance defense attorneys are concerned that the state’s workers’ compensation laws have become costly to insurers and businesses, despite years of rate reductions …

Georgia Plaintiff Who Fired Attorney Still Bound by Settlement Agreement

A motor-vehicle accident victim who fired his lawyer and asked for more money must still accept the $17,500 settlement that his counsel agreed to before she was dismissed, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday. An appellate panel reversed a …

No Coverage Owed for Home Destroyed by Fire Even if Agent Pocketed Premiums

A property insurer is off the hook for a $200,000 claim against a policy that it canceled, leaving a lawsuit filed against a former insurance agent who was arrested for pocketing premiums as the only apparent recourse available to the …

No Coverage Owed for Shooting Due to Criminal Act Exclusion

An insurer is not liable for injuries caused by a policyholder who shot a 15-year-old boy in the head because the policy excluded coverage for criminal acts, a split Georgia Court of Appeals panel decided. The 2-1 ruling by the …

Insurer Can’t Deny Coverage Despite Misinformation on Policy Application

An insurer that extended its workers’ compensation coverage for 90 days after discovering the employer had violated the terms of its policy could not then deny coverage for a claim on the grounds that those terms had been violated, the …

Court Bars Statute of Limitations Defense Because of Misrepresentations

The owner of Golden Isles Cruise Lines promised to “take real good care” of Robert Bruce Lowie, but he didn’t. After Georgia’s one-year statute of limitations to file a tort claim passed, Golden Isles stopped paying Lowie’s medical bills, even …