HB1419: HB1419 Insurance; timely claims processing in supplemental estimates for repairs under motor vehicle liability insurance policies; provide

When a car is being repaired after a wreck, body shops sometimes find extra damage that was not visible during the first inspection and file a 'supplemental estimate' asking the insurer to cover it. Currently there is no statewide deadline in Georgia law for how quickly an insurer must respond to these supplemental estimates. This bill adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 33-34-10, that requires insurers to assign an appraiser or review the estimate within one business day of notification, and to complete an inspection or review and give a written response within three business days (extendable to six days if the insurer explains specific unforeseen circumstances). Insurers would then have ten business days to give the repair facility and claimant a written decision explaining which repair items are approved and which are denied, reduced, or altered, along with reasons such as coverage limits or duplication. Insurers could not pay or settle a supplemental claim without issuing that written decision. The bill also amends Georgia's unfair claims settlement law (O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34) to make repeated violations of these new deadlines an unfair trade practice, and directs the Insurance Commissioner to write rules, including possibly standard forms.

• Creates a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 33-34-10) setting deadlines for auto insurers to respond to supplemental damage estimates during vehicle repairs.
• Requires insurers to assign an appraiser or review a supplemental estimate within one business day of notification.
• Requires insurers to complete an inspection or review and provide a written response within three business days, extendable to six with a documented reason.
• Requires a full written decision within ten business days explaining which repair costs are approved, denied, reduced, or altered, and why.
• Bars insurers from paying or settling a supplemental claim without first issuing that written decision.
• Adds repeated violations of these deadlines to the list of practices that count as unfair claims settlement practices under O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34.

The bill affects auto insurance companies operating in Georgia, body shops and other repair facilities, appraisers who evaluate vehicle damage, and claimants (car owners or third parties) who file claims for vehicle repairs after a collision or other damage.

Repair facilities and vehicle owners often wait without explanation while insurers review extra damage found during repairs. The new deadlines and written-decision requirement would give repair shops and claimants a clearer timeline and reasoning for insurer decisions, potentially speeding up repairs and payments.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 33-6-34 to add failure to comply with the new supplemental estimate rules to the list of unfair claims settlement practices.
• Section 2 creates O.C.G.A. § 33-34-10, defining key terms like 'appraiser,' 'claimant,' 'repair facility,' 'supplemental damage,' and 'supplemental estimate.'
• Subsection (b) requires insurers to assign an appraiser or review within one business day, and complete inspection or review with a written response within three business days (extendable to six for documented unforeseen circumstances).
• Subsection (c) requires a full written decision within ten business days detailing approved, denied, reduced, or altered items and the reasons, and bars payment without this decision.
• Subsection (d) states that a pattern of violations counts as a violation of the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act.
• Subsection (e) directs the Insurance Commissioner to create rules and regulations, potentially including standard forms, to implement the new law.

1. 2026-02-25House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-24House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-20House Hopper (House)

• Lehman Franklin (R, HD-160)Primary sponsor
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• Matthew Gambill (R, HD-015)
• Matt Barton (R, HD-005)

• auto insurance
• vehicle repair claims
• insurance regulation
• unfair claims practices