---
title: O.C.G.A. § 9-3-70. “Action for medical malpractice” defined.
collection: code
id: 9-3-70
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 9-3-70 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/9-3-70
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/9-3-70.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/9-3-70/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t9-ch1-10-(v6)-2023-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f3cabc45_0#page=307
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
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
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CIVIL PRACTICE / LIMITATIONS OF ACTIONS / LIMITATIONS FOR MALPRACTICE ACTIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 9-3-70. “Action for medical malpractice” defined.

As used in this article, the term “action for medical malpractice” means any claim for damages resulting from the death of or injury to any person arising out of:

(1) Health, medical, dental, or surgical service, diagnosis, prescription, treatment, or care rendered by a person authorized by law to perform such service or by any person acting under the supervision and control of the lawfully authorized person; or

(2) Care or service rendered by any public or private hospital, nursing home, clinic, hospital authority, facility, or institution, or by any officer, agent, or employee thereof acting within the scope of his employment.

## History

Code 1933, § 3-1101, enacted by Ga. L. 1976, p. 1363, § 1.

## Law Reviews

For annual survey on torts, see 36 Mercer L. Rev. 327 (1984).

For note, “You Can’t Get There from Here — Questioning the Erosion of ERISA Preemption in Medical Malpractice Actions Against HMOs,” see 30 Ga. L. Rev. 1023 (1996).

For article, “State of Emergency: Why Georgia’s Standard of Care in Emergency Rooms is Harmful to Your Health,” see 45 Ga. L. Rev. 275 (2010).

For article, “When Do State Laws Determine ERISA Plan Benefit Rights?,” see 47 J. Marshall L. Rev. 145 (2014).