Journal

It's hard to imagine anything in today's world that has not been impacted by COVID-19. The legal profession is, of course, no exception. Lawyers must be prepared each day to respond and adjust to the shifting sets of challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. The goal for each attorney should be to provide excellent legal services while ensuring that everyone involved stays healthy and safe. For depositions during this time, we feel that this goal is most effectively accomplished via remote video conferencing. ... Continue Reading

A recent opinion out of the Georgia Court of Appeals is forcing insurers to choose their words carefully when seeking clarification regarding time-limited settlement demands. In Yim v. Carr, the Court of Appeals reversed a ruling that a defendant driver's insurer had accepted the plaintiff's time-limited demand for the policy's limits, holding instead that the insurer's request for clarification regarding the scope of the offer's release was not an "unequivocal acceptance" of the offer, but rather a counteroffer. The holding is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court of Georgia, but in the meantime, it is causing some hand-wringing among insurance representatives and the defense bar. ... Continue Reading

Large motor carriers and their workers' compensation insurers are not strangers to claims brought by contractor truck drivers claiming to be employees of the carrier. A type of contractor commonly seen in these cases is the "owner-operator", who Georgia law defines as "an equipment lessor who leases his vehicular equipment with a driver to a carrier." ... Continue Reading

We've all heard the adage that "the best defense is a good offense." The thought is that by being proactive, rather than passive or merely reactive, you will gain a strategic advantage over your opponent by forcing the opponent to be on the defense. This idea certainly rings true in all litigation, especially in mass tort, multijurisdictional, or serial litigation. ... Continue Reading

In 2012, the Georgia legislature enacted the Georgia Motor Carrier Act of 2012. One of the stated objectives of the Act was to transfer regulations of motor carriers and limousine carriers from the Georgia Public Service Commission to the Georgia Department of Public Safety. See O.C.G.A. 40-1-51. ... Continue Reading