HB1117: HB1117 Insurance; claims processing for repairs under motor vehicle liability insurance policies; provide

Under current Georgia law, insurers have some limits on steering drivers toward specific repair shops, but the rules are less detailed than what this bill proposes. HB 1117 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 33-34-6 to guarantee that anyone filing a motor vehicle liability insurance claim can choose their own repair facility, and bars insurers from using a shop they have a financial interest in or suggesting that using a different shop will hurt the claim. The bill also adds two new sections. One requires insurers to follow the vehicle manufacturer's official repair procedures and limits when they can deny paying for those procedures, requiring a written explanation within three business days if they do. The other sets deadlines, generally three to ten business days, for insurers to inspect, respond to, and pay for newly discovered ('supplemental') vehicle damage found after the initial repair estimate. Violations that happen often enough count as unfair claims practices, and claimants can sue for an injunction and triple damages.

• Guarantees that anyone filing a motor vehicle liability insurance claim can choose their own repair facility, not one picked by the insurer.
• Bars insurers from using or recommending a repair shop they have a financial stake in, or implying that using another shop will delay or reduce payment.
• Requires insurers to approve repairs that follow the vehicle manufacturer's official repair procedures and limits when they can deny payment for those repairs.
• Sets specific deadlines (one, three, and ten business days) for insurers to inspect, respond to, and explain decisions on supplemental damage claims discovered after the initial estimate.
• Creates a private right to sue for claimants harmed by violations, allowing injunctive relief and triple (treble) damages.
• Directs the state Insurance Commissioner to write rules to implement these new requirements, including standard forms for supplemental estimates.

Drivers who file claims under motor vehicle liability insurance policies, auto insurance companies operating in Georgia, and repair facilities such as body shops, garages, and dealerships that perform covered vehicle repairs.

Drivers whose cars are damaged would have a clearer legal right to pick their own repair shop and to have repairs done to the manufacturer's specifications, with firm deadlines for insurers to respond to added damage found during repairs, potentially reducing delays and disputes over payment.

• Section 1 amends the unfair claims settlement practices law (O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34) to add failure to comply with the new claims-processing rules in O.C.G.A. §§ 33-34-6, 33-34-10, and 33-34-11 as an unfair claims practice.
• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 33-34-6 to let claimants choose any repair facility, bar insurers from steering claimants to shops they have a financial interest in, and require disclosures when insurers recommend a specific shop.
• Section 2 creates a private cause of action for claimants harmed by violations, allowing injunctive relief and treble damages.
• Section 3 adds new O.C.G.A. § 33-34-10, requiring insurers to follow original equipment manufacturer repair procedures and setting a three-business-day window to explain any denial of such repairs in writing.
• Section 3 adds new O.C.G.A. § 33-34-11, requiring insurers to assign an appraiser within one business day and issue a written decision on supplemental damage claims within ten business days.
• Both new sections direct the Insurance Commissioner to issue implementing rules and regulations, including standardized forms for supplemental estimates.

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 claims
• consumer protection
• insurance regulation