A Georgia jury values pain and suffering by its “enlightened conscience,” without a formula or a multiplier. There’s no table of amounts, and insurance programs that use medical bills as a guide don’t bind a jury. Georgia has no cap on this item in car cases.
What goes into the number is evidence of the person’s life before and after: how long the pain lasted, surgeries, scars, lost activities, and whether recovery is complete.
The 2025 tort changes altered how the figure is argued. Under O.C.G.A. § 9-10-184 as amended by SB 68:
- Lawyers can’t state a number or range during jury selection or testimony.
- They may argue value only after the close of evidence, at their first opportunity to argue damages.
- The argument must be “rationally related to the evidence,” with no reference to objects or values having no rational connection to the facts proved.
- Someone who has the opening and concluding arguments can’t argue a new or different number at the end.
Under § 51-12-15, a party may also demand that fault be tried first, then damages, in a car case.
The seat belt rule changed in the same year. Under § 40-8-76.1(d), nonuse may be considered in a civil action, which can reduce what a jury awards, subject to the application dates of SB 68 and SB 69. Comparative fault under § 51-12-33 reduces the final number too.
An adjuster’s offer doesn’t reflect a rule of law. A settlement number depends on the available insurance as well, since minimum limits are $25,000 per person.
General information about Georgia law as of November 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.