Joint and Several Liability in Georgia
State-specific overview · Tort Law
Georgia retains traditional joint and several liability for all damages without threshold restrictions.
How Georgia treats Joint and Several Liability
Georgia has not significantly reformed joint and several liability, allowing plaintiffs to recover full judgment amounts from any defendant regardless of comparative fault percentage. A defendant found even 1% responsible can be pursued for the entire judgment if other defendants cannot pay. This rule favors plaintiffs but places substantial risk on defendants with minimal fault or limited assets.
The general definition of Joint and Several Liability
Multiple defendants can each be held fully responsible for the entire judgment, not just their share.
When two or more people or companies are sued together for causing harm, the injured person can collect the full amount from any one of them, rather than having to split the recovery among all defendants. This means if you win a $100,000 judgment against three defendants, you can demand all $100,000 from just one of them, and that defendant can then try to recover their fair share from the others. It protects the injured person by ensuring they get paid even if some defendants can't pay.
Read the full Joint and Several Liability entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Georgia.