HB 1117: Insurance; claims processing for repairs under motor vehicle liability insurance policies; provide

Under current Georgia law, insurers have limited restrictions on directing drivers toward certain repair shops when settling motor vehicle claims. This bill rewrites and expands O.C.G.A. § 33-34-6 and adds two new Code sections (33-34-10 and 33-34-11) to Georgia's motor vehicle accident reparations law. The bill lets any claimant choose their own repair shop, bars insurers from requiring use of a shop the insurer has a financial stake in, and requires insurers to disclose when they recommend a shop they have ties to. It also requires insurers to honor original equipment manufacturer repair procedures set by vehicle makers, and creates strict response deadlines, generally three business days, for approving or denying those procedures with written explanations. A third new section sets deadlines (one, three, and ten business days) for insurers to respond to supplemental damage found after an initial estimate. Violations that become a general business practice count as unfair claims settlement practices, and claimants can sue for injunctions and triple damages.

• Adds a new category of unfair claims settlement practice for insurers who fail to follow the bill's claims processing requirements (O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34).
• Guarantees claimants the right to pick their own repair shop and bars insurers from requiring shops in which the insurer has a financial interest.
• Requires insurers to disclose any financial interest in a recommended repair shop and confirm that payment will not depend on which shop is used.
• Requires insurers to honor manufacturer-specified repair procedures and sets a three-business-day deadline to approve or explain denial of those procedures.
• Sets one, three, and ten business day deadlines for insurers to inspect, respond to, and pay or deny supplemental damage estimates found after the initial claim.
• Creates a private right to sue for injunctive relief and triple damages for claimants harmed by violations of the new repair and processing rules.

Georgia drivers filing motor vehicle insurance claims, auto insurance companies, repair shops and body shops, vehicle appraisers, and the state Insurance Commissioner's office, which would write rules to enforce the new requirements.

Drivers would gain more control over where their car gets repaired and clearer information about insurer ties to recommended shops. Repair shops and claimants would get firm response deadlines from insurers, which could speed up payment decisions on manufacturer-specified repairs and newly discovered damage.

• Section 1 adds failure to follow the new claims processing rules in O.C.G.A. §§ 33-34-6, 33-34-10, and 33-34-11 to the list of unfair claims settlement practices.
• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 33-34-6 to let claimants choose their repair shop, bar insurers from requiring shops they have a financial interest in, and require disclosures when recommending a shop.
• Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 33-34-10, requiring insurers to follow original equipment manufacturer repair procedures and respond to repair procedure requests within three business days with a written explanation for any denial.
• Section 3 also adds O.C.G.A. § 33-34-11, setting one, three, and ten business day deadlines for insurers to inspect, respond to, and issue written decisions on supplemental damage estimates.
• Both new sections make repeated violations an unfair claims settlement practice and give claimants a private right to sue for injunctive relief and treble damages.
• The Commissioner of Insurance is directed to write rules implementing all three Code sections, including uniform forms for supplemental estimates.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-04House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-03House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-02House Hopper (House)

• Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)Primary sponsor
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Mike Cheokas (R, HD-151)
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)

• auto insurance
• car repair rights
• insurance regulation
• consumer protection
• claims processing