Cannella Snyder partner Rob Snyder was recently interviewed by Law360 regarding Georgia’s 2025 tort reform legislation, a centerpiece of this year’s state legislative session.

Among the recently enacted legislation is S.B. 68, which allows parties to request bifurcated trials separating liability and damages in wrongful death and bodily injury cases. Snyder noted that while he has already observed an increase in bifurcation demands since the bill’s passage, the long-term impact remains uncertain.

“We don’t know that bifurcation is really going to make a significant difference,” Snyder said. “It may actually increase verdicts overall if it’s invoked in cases where liability isn’t truly disputed, because juries may be frustrated by the added time and complexity.”

Snyder also discussed how practitioners are adjusting to narrower negligent security claims, new rules allowing jurors to consider seat belt usage in auto cases, and recent restrictions on anchoring and so-called “phantom” damages – areas he says are already creating uncertainty and will require appellate guidance.

“There’s an extraordinary amount of uncertainty as to how you try a case under the new rules,” Snyder added, particularly when addressing damages during voir dire in a bifurcated case.

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