Georgia Code
Article 1 - General Provisions
§ 51-12-5.1. Punitive Damages

History. Code 1981, § 51-12-5.1 , enacted by Ga. L. 1987, p. 915, § 5; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1402, § 18; Ga. L. 1997, p. 837, § 1; Ga. L. 2010, p. 863, § 2/SB 296.
Code Commission notes.
Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1997, in subsection (f), “tort-feasor” was substituted for “tortfeasor” in two places and “judgment” was substituted for “judgement” near the middle and “April 14, 1997” was substituted for “the effective date of this subsection” at the end of subsection (h).
Law reviews.
For comment, “Are Excessive Punitive Damages Unconstitutional in Georgia?: This Question and More in Colonial Pipeline Co. v. Brown,” see 6 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 85 (1989).
For comment, “Statutory Punitive Damage Caps and the Profit Motive: An Economic Perspective,” see 40 Emory L.J. 303 (1991).
For article, “Products Liability Law in Georgia Including Recent Developments,” see 43 Mercer L. Rev. 27 (1991).
For article, “The Case for Allowing Punitive Damages in Georgia Wrongful Death Actions: The Need to Remove an Unjust Anomaly in Georgia Law,” see 45 Mercer L. Rev. 1 (1993).
For note, “Mack Trucks, Inc. v. Conkle: The Georgia Supreme Court Tells the Legislature to Keep On Truckin’ When Appropriating Punitive Damage Awards to the State Treasury,” see 45 Mercer L. Rev. 1439 (1994).
For article commenting on the 1997 amendment of this Code section, see 14 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 63 (1997).
For annual survey article on tort law, see 50 Mercer L. Rev. 335 (1998).
For article, “Premises Liability for Criminal Attacks: Same Crimes, New Law,” see 5 Ga. St. B. J. 54 (1999).
For annual survey article discussing tort law, see 51 Mercer L. Rev. 461 (1999).
For article, “Insurance,” see 53 Mercer L. Rev. 281 (2001).
For annual survey of construction law, see 56 Mercer L. Rev. 109 (2004).
For annual survey of law of torts, see 56 Mercer L. Rev. 433 (2004).
For survey article on labor and employment law, see 60 Mercer L. Rev. 217 (2008).
For survey article on tort law, see 60 Mercer L. Rev. 375 (2008).
For annual survey on zoning and land use law, see 61 Mercer L. Rev. 427 (2009).
For article, “Practice Point: Right of Publicity: A Practitioner’s Enigma,” see 17 J. Intell. Prop. L. 351 (2010).
For article, “The Experiential Future of the Law,” see 60 Emory L.J. 585 (2011).
For article, “An Insurer’s Duty to Settle: The Law in Georgia,” see 22 Ga. St. Bar J. 19 (Aug. 2016).
For article, “Do’s and Don’ts When Handling a Product Liability Matter in Georgia,” see 25 Ga. St. B.J. 17 (Aug. 2019).
For article with annual survey on trial practice and procedure, see 73 Mercer L. Rev. 265 (2021).