Medical Malpractice Law in Georgia   Tags: georgia_law, malpractice  

The following is an overview of medical malpractice civil actions in Georgia and provides general resources to an individual working on this issue.  It is intended to serve as a starting point for attorney’s unfamiliar with medical malpractice suits or to offer additional resources for attorney’s focusing on a specific aspect of malpractice.  The information is specific to actions brought in the State of Georgia.  Included are statutory requirements for filing and maintaining a malpractice action, critical information to defending such an action, and various reference materials for attorneys involved these cases.

Although some of the information may be relevant to actions brought in other jurisdictions, it is important to note that this guide is not intended to represent the current law in all jurisdictions and that independent research must be done in order to confirm the law in your jurisdiction. Medical malpractice actions in Georgia are heavily controlled by statute, and Georgia case law, as a result, much of this information may not translate into other jurisdictions.

Calvin Yaeger is a law student at Georgia State University’s College of Law and will graduate in May 2010.  After graduation, he will be an associate at Downey & Cleveland in Marietta, Georgia.  This bibliography was written in the Spring 2010 section of Nancy Johnson’s Advanced Legal Research class.  Send an email to njohnson@gsu.edu for more information about this bibliography.

This research guide is an introduction to medical malpractice actions in the state of Georgia.  It provides useful information for both plaintiff and defense attorneys.  It provides primary and secondary sources that will be valuable resources for either side of a malpractice suit in this state.

This research guide is merely a starting point for a law student or attorney to research medical malpractice actions under Georgia law.  As such, it is important that any researcher Shepardize or Keycite all cases and statutes before relying on them.  Many of the provisions governing medical malpractice actions have been challenged as unconstitutional and may be overturned or amended.  Additionally, as most of these regulations are legislative in nature, they are subject to change each year when the Georgia Assembly meets.  New legislative action may affect previous case law as well as future actions.  This guide should not be considered legal advice or as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances.  If you need further assistance in researching the topic or have a specific legal question, please contact a reference librarian in the Georgia State University College of Law library or consult an attorney.