{"id":530,"date":"2025-02-06T11:15:04","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T16:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/?p=530"},"modified":"2025-02-06T11:15:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T16:15:07","slug":"they-are-coming-for-your-constitutional-rights-its-time-to-say-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/they-are-coming-for-your-constitutional-rights-its-time-to-say-no\/","title":{"rendered":"They Are Coming for Your Constitutional Rights \u2013 It\u2019s Time to Say NO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Penn Law<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Two years ago, it was Florida. Now it\u2019s Georgia\u2019s turn. Insurance companies and big business are coming for your constitutional rights, disguising their attack as \u201ctort reform.\u201d But these so-called reforms are not about justice, fairness, or lowering costs for hardworking Georgians. Instead, they are a calculated effort to further pad corporate profits at the expense of citizens and small business owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest attack comes in the form of Senate Bill 68 (SB68), the Governor\u2019s bill allegedly designed to lower insurance premiums. But there\u2019s one glaring problem: SB68 does not even address insurance rates\u2014the very reason we are told it is necessary. Instead, this bill weakens your 7th Amendment right to trial by jury, a right our founding fathers fought to enshrine in the Constitution and which is reaffirmed in Georgia\u2019s Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For everyday Georgians and small business owners, SB68 is a double blow\u2014insurance premiums remain high, and your constitutional rights take a hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even President Donald Trump, not exactly known for favoring lawsuits, has called tort reform \u201can insurance company bailout\u201d and \u201cthe worst insurance scam in history.\u201d He\u2019s right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Legal Scam That Must Be Stopped<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If SB68 passes, it will erase 292 years of common law in Georgia\u2014laws that have existed since 1733. This bill would create a legal framework that does not exist anywhere in the United States or any other country with a civil justice system. That alone should be enough to sound the alarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Prevent you from telling a jury what you want in damages. The purpose of civil litigation is to seek just compensation. Under SB68, you wouldn\u2019t even be allowed to tell the jury what that is. Our law states that damages should be set through the \u201cenlightened conscience\u201d of jurors. Yet, this bill prevents you from informing them\u2014an absurd and unprecedented move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Treat homemakers, the elderly, and children as second-class citizens. Those who don\u2019t earn traditional wages\u2014like stay-at-home parents, retirees, or children\u2014will have fewer rights than business executives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Create a \u201clawsuit lottery.\u201d Without clear guidance, jurors will be forced to guess what damages should be, leading to wildly inconsistent and unfair verdicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shielding Bad Actors from Accountability<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SB68 doesn\u2019t just make it harder to win lawsuits\u2014it shields wrongdoers from consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bill removes the ability to penalize defendants who act in bad faith, cause unnecessary trouble, or stubbornly refuse to settle reasonable claims. Insurance companies will face no consequences for dragging out claims and denying rightful payments\u2014if anything, they will be rewarded for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make no mistake: SB68 is an insurance company dream bill. It gives insurers and big business even more power to delay, deny, and defend claims indefinitely, all while maximizing their profits at your expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clogging the Court System with Burdensome Rules<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Georgia\u2019s legal system is already complex, but SB68 will make it worse\u2014trials will take two to four times longer, increasing costs and clogging dockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bill will also make hiring expert witnesses mandatory for questions jurors could answer themselves\u2014like whether someone wore a seatbelt in a car accident. These additional costs will price everyday Georgians out of the courtroom, ensuring that justice is only available to the wealthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Truth: Insurance Companies Are Thriving, Not Struggling<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be fooled into thinking insurers need this bill to stay afloat. The truth is, insurance companies have never been more profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, insurers made $87 billion in profits, and 2024 is shaping up to be even better. Meanwhile, their CEOs collect tens of millions in salaries, while everyday Georgians struggle to get their rightful claims paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbers tell the real story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Georgia\u2019s defense costs for insurance companies are lower than in surrounding states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Insurance companies in Georgia pay out less per claim than they do in other states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these facts, they are still coming for your constitutional rights\u2014because they want more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Bill Will Make Your Life Worse<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s be clear: If SB68 passes, your life will not improve. Your insurance rates will not drop. Your small business will not be better protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only entities that will benefit from this bill are big business and the insurance industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one chooses to be injured, disabled, or killed in an accident. No one asks to have their life permanently altered by another person\u2019s negligence. I tell people all the time, \u201cYou do not want to have to call me, because if you do, something terrible has happened.\u201d Yet, those harmed are now being told they should have fewer rights and fewer options for justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine if it were your daughter, son, mother, or father. Would you want fewer legal options? Would you want your lawyer to be restricted in how they can fight for you? Would you want to be forced into a legal system rigged against you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reject This Attack on Your Rights<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accountability must apply to everyone\u2014individuals, businesses, and insurance companies alike. SB68 destroys accountability by ensuring that only the wealthy and powerful can afford to seek justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not just another bill. This is a direct attack on the fundamental rights of every Georgian. We, the people, must stand together and reject this blatant power grab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact your representatives. Tell them that we will not stand by while they strip us of our constitutional rights. Make your voice heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say NO to Senate Bill 68. Say NO to corporate greed. Say YES to protecting Georgia\u2019s hardworking citizens and small business owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are coming for your rights. It\u2019s time to fight back\u2014LOUDLY.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Penn Law Two years ago, it was Florida. Now it\u2019s Georgia\u2019s turn. Insurance companies and big business are coming for your constitutional rights, disguising their attack as \u201ctort reform.\u201d But these so-called reforms are not about justice, fairness, or lowering costs for hardworking Georgians. Instead, they are a calculated effort to further pad corporate …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=530"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":533,"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530\/revisions\/533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pennlawgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}