---
title: O.C.G.A. § 24-4-416. Statements of sympathy in medical malpractice cases.
collection: code
id: 24-4-416
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 24-4-416 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-4-416
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-4-416.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/24-4-416/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t24-ch1-7-(v20)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=27d520aa_0#page=337
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
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publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: EVIDENCE / RELEVANT EVIDENCE AND ITS LIMITS
extraction_warnings:
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---

# O.C.G.A. § 24-4-416. Statements of sympathy in medical malpractice cases.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “health care provider” means any person licensed under Chapter 9, 10A, 11, 11A, 26, 28, 30, 33, 34, 35, 39, or 44 of Title 43 or any hospital, nursing home, home health agency, institution, or medical facility licensed or defined under Chapter 7 of Title 31. The term shall also include any corporation, professional corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, authority, or other entity composed of such health care providers.

(b) In any claim or civil proceeding brought by or on behalf of a patient allegedly experiencing an unanticipated outcome of medical care, any and all statements, affirmations, gestures, activities, or conduct expressing regret, apology, sympathy, commiseration, condolence, compassion, mistake, error, or a general sense of benevolence which is made by a health care provider or an employee or agent of a health care provider to the patient, a relative of the patient, or a representative of the patient and which relates to the unanticipated outcome shall be inadmissible as evidence and shall not constitute an admission of liability or an admission against interest.

## History

Code 1981, § 24-4-416, enacted by Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 2/HB 24; Ga. L. 2013, p. 141, § 24/HB 79.