By Matt Stone
The Georgia appellate courts handed down two important decisions last week. On March 20, 2012, the Court of Appeals issued an opinion holding that an insurer can create a “safe harbor” where a plaintiff who sends a time-limited settlement demand trying to set-up a bad faith claim unreasonably refuses to assure satisfaction of hospital liens. Southern Gen. Ins. Co. v. Wellstar Health Sys., Inc., No. A11A2065, 2012 WL 917604 (Ga. Ct. App., Mar. 20, 2012). On March 23, 2012, the Supreme Court issued an opinion upholding the Tort Reform Act of 2005’s amendment of O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, requiring apportionment among multiple tortfeasors, even where a plaintiff bears no fault, and eliminating a co-defendant’s right of contribution or set-off. McReynolds v. Krebs, No. S11G0638 (Ga. Sup. Ct., Mar. 23, 2012). (more…)